Star Wars: Training The Shadow
by Dark-Half-Raven
Summary: READ THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW FIRST! A companion story to The Emperor's Shadow, detailing Padme' Amidala's year of hell at the Royal Guard Training Academy.
1. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS, JUST IN CASE ANY LAWYERS ARE BORED AND FIND THIS ON A LUNCH BREAK.**

 **Ordinarily, I would decline to post this until after I've finished, as too many Fanfics on this site end up staying unfinished for a variety of reasons. However, I decided to post these two chapters as an incentive to myself to get this damned thing finished, as I have been at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed with this.** **This seemed like a natural side story to tell, so you get Padme' Amidala enduring a year of hell at the Royal Guard Training Academy. Here she gets to grips with her new life while the Emperor gets to grips with controlling her efficiently. Hope you like what you see so far, and if you have any (reasonable) suggestions for how I can proceed with this, feel free to message me.**

 **Two supporters to shout out to:**

 **-MoonGoddessKiana, my first reviewer. This is the start of the Training story that I mentioned. Hope you're still reading, and that you like what you see so far.**

 **-** **1saaa, my second reviewer who lately has become a very useful brainstorming partner, helping me sketch out ideas for where to take this story in the future. Here's the two chapters I mentioned. Let me know what you think!**

STAR WARS: TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART ONE

The Royal Guard Training Academy…my year of pure hell. Unceasing, and unrelenting.

My name is…was…Padme' Amidala, and I am the personal bodyguard of the Emperor Palpatine, his Shadow. Extension of his will, the final line of defence…Unquestioning and unstoppable.

Yet he did not simply equip me with technology that constantly usurped my free will and made me his servant. He had to test his modifications-his control, and my new abilities-so I had to prove myself at the Imperial Royal Guard Training Academy. The most elite training facility in the galaxy, a perfect crucible to temper my skills. Thanks to the control serum and the device attached to my chest, I was in no position to stop myself from agreeing to this potentially suicidal decision.

This is the story of that period of training. A year where I was molded from a brainwashed former senator to a relentless killing machine, the ideal bodyguard for my…I refuse to call him Master, even though I am forced to every time I enter or leave his presence. I am not proud of my actions during this time period, but my actions were no longer my own. I am controlled by the Emperor through the Dark Side of the Force, and this is the story of how he fully developed his control over me.

My journey began when an Imperial shuttle met me from a secret hanger in the Imperial Palace. I presume that it is a potential escape route for the Emperor if Coruscant-no, Imperial Center-is ever attacked with significant enough force. The Emperor seems to find such a possibility laughable, but even so he has plans worked out just in case-he is such a twisted schemer that I would be more surprised if he did not have something worked out. I was accompanied by two of his Royal Guard, neatly prefiguring what I could potentially become.

There was no way that the guards could have known it was me, even if their loyalty to Palpatine had allowed them the curiosity of such thoughts. I was clad in black Jedi robes, with black leather gloves hiding my hands and tall black boots on my legs. My face was covered with a cloth and leather black mask that completely hid my face, my hair, and even my eyes. I have no idea what they made of me, and in all honesty they would not have spoken of it. The Emperor ordered them to escort me to the waiting shuttle, and that is what they did. Follow his orders to the letter-as was their job. Their duty.

I was met by a pilot, who looked visibly confused when he saw me. He then spotted the Royal Guards, and stood to attention-not wishing to be seen as unreliable by the Emperor's most devoted servants. This was the early dawn of the Empire, but word was already spreading about the Royal Guard unit. They stopped, and so did I.

I could hear Palpatine's voice in my head, and without any form of processing or agreement from me, they came out of my lips. I listened to my voice say words that I was in no control over.

"Confirmation Code Alpha-Delta-Epsilon. Assignment highest priority, authorised by his Excellency the Emperor himself. Confirm my name as Corde' Sabe' Naberrie'."

What shocked me was that the words came out as altered. It was no longer my voice…it was a mechanical version, completely disguised. Of course it was, I reminded myself-how could it be otherwise…if the Emperor was going to go to all this trouble to hide my continued existence, he would hardly allow me to use my real voice. The voice was soulless, cold and evil…and that chilled me to my core. What was I being molded into by him…?

The pilot shuddered when confronted with this, before recovering and simply saying "Follow me".

The Royal Guards accompanied me to the boarding ramp of the shuttle, which was located in a hidden hanger as opposed to a landing platform-no doubt to keep it from being detected as an escape route. They then stayed at the bottom, not giving me a word, as I was led up the ramp by the obviously intimidated pilot. I was led into the passenger cabin, where a pair of white armoured stormtroopers stood on patient guard, silent but ever-present. I sat in the VIP seat, while the pilot took me from the Imperial Palace to the Star Destroyer that would transport me to the training facility.

For the whole journey, I stayed silent. The Emperor, through his control over me via the Force, did not permit me to speak, or move. I was alone with my thoughts for the entire trip, which was probably his intention-another attempt to erode what was left of my free will. I was forced to go over, repeatedly, what was about to happen to me. I was going to die, or I was going to return the ideal tool for the Emperor. Tool, I considered, was an appropriate word to use to describe myself-I was no longer an individual. That had been stripped away from me through the use of the disguise and the forced abandonment of my real name. What really scared me was the idea that the training would be hand-in-hand with propaganda, to ensure a completely loyal and elite cadre of guardians for the Emperor. My free will was the only thing that I had left that I could still consider my own, even if it was trapped within my own head. Would I have even that stripped away from me?

The one light in the whole situation was the necessary requirement that most of the potential recruits would be killed over the course of the year. This meant that some of the best in the Empire would be killed in the battle to become the best of the best, a fact that gave me an inner glow as I realised how these battles may help the rebellion simply through taking potentially key players out of the game. Of course, some of these deaths would be by my hand. While I have no qualms about killing if the situation requires it and if there is honestly no other way that things can play out, the scary part of the equation was the knowledge that the Emperor could ensure that I committed murder even if I wanted to have no part in such an action. Did even these men deserve to die at the hands of a brainwashed pawn?

After a fairly short trip off Coruscant…sorry, Imperial Centre…my shuttle docked at the Star Destroyer which was due to convey me to the Training Academy. A former Republic Capital Ship in the Clone Wars known as the _Liberator_ , it had been renamed by the rising Empire as the _Oppresser._ An intimidating name, but it seemed to be par for the course-simply another means of generating fear. With the army of clone troopers at their disposal, fear and fear of force would no doubt become the Empire's modus operanti as it expanded its iron fist over the galaxy. My shuttle arrived in the docking bay, where I was met from the boarding ramp by the ship's captain, a fearsome looking man by the name of Travers. He was a veteran of the Clone Wars, one that I had heard of through reputation-a hardliner who believed in the use of force over diplomacy. In other words, a natural for the Empire's New Order. He was a gaunt looking man, with clicked back dark hair kept under his Officer's cap, and his new Imperial uniform kept as crisp and pristine as his Republic Officer's uniform that he had worn previously. If he was surprised at my appearance, he did not show it. He had obviously been alerted of my impending arrival, as well as my special clearance due to my "unique connections". He saluted me as I arrived, surrounded by a few stormtroopers who pointed their blaster rifles at me.

"Conformation of code designation." The man stated in cold tones.

"Confirmation code Alpha-Delta-Epsilon." I replied in my disguised voice. The man looked at me, before nodding in agreement. He signalled his stormtrooper guards to stand down.

"Corde' Sabe' Naberrie…welcome to the _Oppressor_. I am Captain Travers." He greeted me.

"Operative Shadow will be adequate, Captain." I spoke, with the Emperor's guidance. Though I did not know it yet, this designation was to become my de-facto codename for my Imperial service. The captain simply nodded in reaction to the cold metallic voice, before continuing.

"As you wish, Operative Shadow. There are quarters prepared aboard the ship, as per request. Should you require anything, use the intercom in your quarters to request aid and it will be given. Otherwise, the privacy that you have requested will be given." He spoke calmly and confidently.

It was no surprise to me that I was to be left in private quarters, isolated from all other personnel on the ship-the Emperor clearly did not want anybody discovering my true identity, even if by accident. While I had little desire to interact with these Imperials, the loneliness would play a part in grinding down what was left of my free will and sense of identity…which might have been part of the point. The other potential reason could be to isolate me and ensure that the Emperor's voice was the only one that I heard, thus placing me in a more suitable position to be subtly conditioned from afar by him as he tested his control over me.

The captain stood waiting.

"Follow me to your quarters…" he said, before moving towards the hanger door, accompanied by his squad of stormtroopers. My accompanying squad of stormtroopers accompanied us as we went down the corridor. We took some more deserted corridors, to avoid arousing suspicion at my presence most likely. My quarters were discreet VIP quarters-luxury quarters to cater for a variety of tastes, but at the same time far enough away from the regular quarters and sufficiently hidden that I could ride aboard the Star Destroyer without the rank and file even knowing of my presence. The isolation would get to me, I had no doubt of that. The captain gave me access to my quarters, while my stormtroopers (part of the ship's complement, it turned out) took up positions outside the door. He then saluted, before taking his leave.

I was alone once more. An indeterminate amount of time stretched between me and my fate-a year where I would be shaped into an unquestionably loyal elite killing machine ready to guard the most despicable being in the galaxy.

As the ship made the telltale jolt that confirmed a jump to lightspeed, I lay on my bed and contemplated my potential demise…or my ascension to Imperial guardian to the Emperor. I would meet an anonymous death at the merciless hands of one who sought to gain the role of guarding the most evil man in the galaxy…or die trying, in an endless cycle of death known as survival of the fittest to find out who was truly the best of the best…with the losers utterly discarded and forgotten. Or, alternatively, I would rise to the top of the pile, covered in Imperial blood and would take my place as a mindless puppet to the Emperor.

Which prospect scared me more…? As I sat alone in my quarters, pondering the question in the sanctuary of my head, I realised that the question was one that I could not answer.


	2. Chapter Two

STAR WARS-TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART TWO

My journey on the Star Destroyer didn't last too long, thanks to the hyperdrive on the gigantic cruiser. Even so, I rarely saw another soul. I would eat my meals alone-a crewman would appear with my meal on a tray, leave it on my table and I would then observe them leave (usually in various states of barely contained fear) while I stood, masked and silent. Only when I was alone was I permitted by the Emperor's conditioning to remove my mask and expose my face so that I could eat. My room was locked and entry was via an intercom system, thus allowing me time to ensure that my mask was in place to conceal my identity. For the rest of the time, I was alone, apart from the occasional update by Captain Travers or one of his officers.

My solitude allowed for the Emperor to spend time hard-wiring remote conditioning into my brainwashed mind, tasks to follow or routines to obey so that he did not have to manipulate my every move to ensure that I did what he wanted. These commands were partially to keep my identity ultra-top secret, but it was also to give me instructions that would theoretically give me an edge in the upcoming training. While his force-aided instructions did get less and less frequent, I did not allow this to inspire me with confidence, as it simply meant that he was succeeding in his aim to turn me into a well-trained lap dog. Talking of training, the room was fitted with fitness equipment, so that was a large part of my day-training my body for what was to come. I would be permitted to be unmasked for these sessions but the door would be locked. When unmasked, I would not be permitted to speak-that condition was endlessly drilled into me, I suspect to ensure that nobody on the crew recognised my voice. I was a very public figure, but who would realise it was me when I am legally (and all but physically) deceased? As for the serum coursing through my veins and constantly trapping me in servitude to the Emperor, the device would generate a self-replicating supply through the connection to my bloodstream. I do not understand the science behind it, but the Emperor was quite clear on ensuring that I would not regain my free will simply because I ran out of serum.

Finally, the Star Destroyer arrived at my destination. Due to my isolation in my cabin, I have absolutely no idea where in the galaxy I was. This would hinder my chances of escape, were I in any sort of position to make such an attempt. Trapped as I was in my own head with my body no longer following my instructions, I was sadly beyond any such opportunities.

I was met by the Captain, who took myself and the pair of stormtroopers that guarded my quarters to the hanger bay, where another pilot-a stone-faced male-stood waiting, saluting as he saw the captain. He then saw me, and his façade cracked somewhat as he realised that I was the VIP that he was to fly to the surface of the planet…the training facility. After a confirmation of my "identity", I was escorted onto the shuttle, where a pair of troopers stood over me as I sat in the passenger seat for another silent shuttle ride. Captain Travers did not give me much of a parting, merely the required formalities and nothing more. The troopers were not stormtroopers-the armour was different, vaguely resembling to stormtrooper armour but at the same time better quality. The helmet was a different shape as well, closer to Vader's helmet than the Stormtrooper helmets. They also carried different weaponry-each carried an electrostaff, but I found myself wondering if they had any hidden blasters. I would later learn that these troopers were riot stormtroopers. A new trooper type at this time, though they would grown in number an visibility as galactic rebellion began to build in the face of the Emperor's tyrannical rule. For their part, they stood over me as silent as the grave, ensuring that I received safe passage to my destination.

As the shuttle descended, I was able to take a look at the planet through a nearby viewport.

The planet was a scorched and desolate wasteland, with heavy signs of orbital bombardment. The planet had obviously been hit hard by the Clone Wars, with ship wreckage as far as the eye could see. The world was dark and barren, with chances of life unlikely and survival questionable. If there was any sort of facility here, it was unlikely to be anything other than a classified secret. Of course, if this was the Royal Guard Training Facility, that would be the case. Only those with very high positions within the Empire would know such a facility even existed, let alone its location. If I held any hopes of rescue, unlikely to the point that it was bordering on impossible, any remaining thoughts of that ilk were fully banished as I realised that I would never be found here. I wouldn't even be here under my own name.

Finally, the shuttle stopped. The riot stormtroopers stirred, escorting me wordlessly off the shuttle.

I was confronted with an underground facility, well hidden from any surface observation. The surface would be used for survival training, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The facility had a hidden hanger, to allow for covert arrivals and departures, and this was where I was met by a cruel-looking man in Imperial uniform. His bald head contained a scar that ran past his eye on the right hand side of his face, from above his eye to below his mouth. His eyes hinted at a distinct lack of emotion and a determined drive that bordered on sadism. He looked at me, and did not react in the slightest.

"I don't know who you are, or where His Excellency found you. But let me make it quite clear that you will not be treated any differently to the other candidates-and that is how The Emperor will no doubt want it. He expects-and demands-the best of the best of the Empire to enter his service as his bodyguards, and only through the most rigorous of training will the weak be culled from the strong. Tell me, have you ever killed somebody?"

I nodded, acting on compulsion from the Emperor.

"Good. I wouldn't ask that of the other candidates, as they are all drawn from Imperial military forces-to be brutally honest, killing goes with the territory. It is a very important requirement for this role-if you are not prepared to kill, you are wasting my time but are also committing suicide as they will all be willing to kill you if they get the chance. You will become efficient and capable killers and will be learning how to kill as part of a squad and individually. You will be taught every skill necessary for your important role as the last line of the Emperor's protection. But it is a role with limited positions. Tell me…are you prepared to kill for this prestigious role?"

In my head, I was fighting with all my will. However, my conditioning spoke for me, making me feel sick to my stomach as I simply nodded and said clearly "I am willing, and able." The man looked intently at me.

"That will be determined in time. There are fifty of you in all, but only two of you will graduate. Most of you, make no mistake of that, will die. Only the best will emerge. As for you, I have been ordered to report back to his Excellency regarding your progress, but I can assure you that your treatment will be no different to the others, as I have already told you. I have been reliably informed that you are part of a top-secret experiment. With that in mind, I will be following your progress very carefully. Before you begin, however, there is one test that I have for you here and now. A year of hell awaits you, and I will personally see to it that it will be nothing less for you. You will kill each other over the course of training, until we have our fully trained candidates. So, my question…"

He stood right up against me, and I could smell his fetid breath even through my mask.

"How dedicated are you to the idea of protecting the Emperor?"

I was used to using words to outlining my position in an argument. As Queen of Naboo, and then Senator, I was well acquainted with using language to win a fight. However, when the words coming out of you do not represent your feelings and there is nothing that you can do to prevent this, it tears at your soul as you watch yourself becoming somebody that you no longer recognise.

"I am ready to be molded into what his Excellency demands of me, and I vow that I shall serve him with ruthlessness and precision. I will hone the skills necessary to become a deadly weapon, ready to be used as he sees fit. If necessary, I will lay down my life for his, and I shall consider it an honour."

Every word that passed my lips was a lie, one brought on my ever-present conditioning. The words ripped at my soul, reminding me of the trap that I was confined in-my ever present cage. For his part, the officer simply nodded in acceptance.

"That'll do for a start. I am Chief Instructor Irving, but you will call me Sir at all times. Got it, recruit?"

I nodded.

"Good. Follow me-your quarters have been prepared."


	3. Chapter Three

**Part Three! While still only in the introductory stage, I have managed to pull together the next chapter-so here it is. As usual, feel free to let me know what you think. Meanwhile, I'll try to keep working on this to advance the story properly.**

 **This one features the introduction to the Academy. I was trying to set the overall tone for the piece here, as most of the prior stuff here has been the travelling to the Academy. Hope this chapter passes muster with all of you!**

 **Shoutout to reviewers, including a new one:**

 **-MoonGoddessKiana: Glad that you like my writing, and I'll try to keep on top of this to minimise waiting between chapters. I'll admit, writing the training for the Royal Guard will be interesting.**

 **-1saaa, it's been a little while since we messaged each other. Hope all is good with you, and hope that you like this chapter too.**

 **-EveIlire, thanks for the review and welcome to the fold. Glad that you liked the previous story. As for your request...I'll consider it, though it does have complications involved. Anyway, hope that you like this chapter.**

STAR WARS: TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART THREE

Flanked by Riot Stormtroopers, trained in the facility that shared the same planet as the Royal Guard Training Academy, myself and my fellow candidates-fifty of us in total-stood in the courtyard. The courtyard dominated the centre of the building and was surprisingly grand in architecture considering how ultra-top secret this training facility was. Then again, everything that I had seen about this place spoke of elitism-the best of the best. Appropriate considering that this facility would produce the best of the best…those of us who would survive.

My fellow students had each been allocated quarters. We all had individual quarters, as we were all being treated as VIP's-most of my fellow students were prominent Imperials, looking for the ultimate promotion. Despite my "Connection" to the Emperor (my skin crawled in revulsion as the thought of that crossed my mind) I was to receive the same provisions as everybody else. The only difference was that I would remain masked for the entire year. The other students would have to learn to fight without armour as part of their training (one never knew when such abilities would come in handy, as one fellow recruit remarked in a quiet moment later) but since my mask provided about as much protection as the Royal headdress worn by my friend and bodyguard Sabe' during our flight from Naboo so long ago (it feels like a long time, and yet it still hurts when I recall Sabe's ultimate fate-that it was by my own hand), so there was little debate about me being allowed to keep it on even before the Emperor's "Special Orders" came into the equation. The quarters were very minimalist-there was training equipment, a bed, storage facilities, a refresher…and that was about it. Food rations were given to us periodically, which were consumed in our rooms…the only time Palpatine would allow me to remove the mask that was rapidly becoming my face-at least that is how it would grow to feel in my head, as I would spend so long in it that the image of my own face started to fade from my memory.

This meeting in the courtyard would be the first time that all of us would be together. Though I was masked, the other recruits were not. Clad in a variant of the clone trooper armour (this would be the training armour) they stood with helmets held next to their waists, stony-faced and disciplined. One by one, the Chief Instructor went through the list of names and we all learned who each of us were. The mix was interesting, I will admit. Some of the recruits were former Republic clones, veterans of the Clone Wars all with the face of now deceased bounty hunter Jango Fett. However, what surprised me was the fact that there were a few who had different faces. I was not sure how long that I had been imprisoned but the Empire was still in its infancy. Even so, there were men conscripted from various worlds as the Empire had consolidated its grip, and some were even volunteers who had willingly joined up. Naboo, Corellia and even Coruscant itself. All had been put through the Imperial Academy and put forward for this initiative through exceptional skill and scores. This would be the start of the Imperial Royal Guard, and all these men had proven themselves worthy of this position. There were even a handful of women, though far fewer than men. All stood and stuck to the facts when addressed one-by-one by Chief Instructor Irving. These represented the best of the newly formed Empire.

Finally, he reached me. The last recruit…

"Name: Corde' Sabe' Naberrie'" he announced.

Prompted by an inner force that I could not control, I growled "Shadow…"

He stared at my mask, his face radiating controlled fury.

"Are you contradicting me, recruit? You may have the Emperor's backing, but don't think that this gives you preferential treatment. Your name is whatever I decide it is, Recruit. Get what I'm saying?"

I nodded. He stepped back, to address the recruits en masse.

"You have all been granted the greatest honour and privilege that the Empire can bestow upon you. You have been offered an opportunity to guard our Imperial Majesty, the Emperor Palpatine himself. I trust that I do not need to overstate the importance of such an offer, as to have earned it means that you have risen above your peers to become the cream of the crop within the Empire. All of you represent the best of the Imperial military, battle-hardened and war tested. Capable fighters, superior shots, and most importantly loyal to the Imperial regime. The best of the best, the greatest warriors of the Empire. But that is not what we are looking for…we're here to cull the weak from the strong, the worthy from the unworthy, to get the best of the best of the Empire. Only two of you will graduate to defend the Emperor. The rest of you will die trying to achieve that ambition. The Emperor demands no less than the ultimate best, and what he requires are capable killers with the skills to defend him and the loyalty to lay down your life if needs be. Over the year, you will be molded into what is required. You will learn the necessary skills by battling each other, and only the best will go on to win the greatest honour in the Empire."

He paused.

"However, the first step in attaining that privileged position will be to become something larger and more important than yourselves. Therefore, you all no longer exist officially, your current whereabouts and status completely off the record. Your names now no longer exist and will not be used at this Training Facility. You will be each issued a recruit number and will be known by that designation for your entire time at this facility…however long or short that time may be. You are now vying to become the protection of the Emperor, so the first step is to strip your names from you to put you on the path to becoming extensions of your Emperor's will."

I would have given a derisive noise at that statement, as my name was already lost to me…as was my identity, and control of my body. Unfortunately, I could do nothing but stand and listen as the Chief Instructor continued his speech. Like a good Imperial…

"The first stage will be to pit you all against each other, as a basic test of your combat readiness. This will be simply to evaluate your skills, and you therefore will not be expected to kill your opponent. But let me make this clear, recruits…" his voice took on a cold, hard tone. "This is the only time that you will refrain from killing your opponent. The Emperor requires merciless and capable killers to guard him, so he will demand nothing less. But for now, as we are merely evaluating your skills, this will not be necessary. Consider this your last act of non-lethal combat, if you will."

"Following this test, you will be trained both individually and in teams. You will learn secret forms of communications and martial arts and be fully trained in the use of blasters and Force Pikes. It will be a long, hard road, but if you make it, you will be the finest that the Empire has to offer."

He looked at the recruits, fanaticism in his eyes.

"You are the elite of the Imperial Military. Now the real work begins…"


	4. Chapter Four

**Part Four. I may have a more regular rhythm going here in regards to chapter updates...we'll see in time.**

 **In the meantime, here's the next part...and a demonstration of the power that Padme' now possesses thanks to the Emperor.**

 **Shoutout to reviewers:**

 **-MoonGoddessKiana: The stripping of names is a little spooky, but it does sell the whole gimmick of them being the guardians to the Emperor. Hope you like this chapter as well-let me know what you think.  
-EveIlire: Hope you're still out there, and still enjoying this story. Let me know if you are...  
-1saaa: Here is the next chapter, slightly earlier than I had planned. Hope this is worth it. **

**If you like this story, please drop a review. They are very much appreciated.**

 **On with the show...**

STAR WARS: TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART FOUR

We were not introduced to our instructors in the various disciplines just yet. In fact, as the Chief Instructor was only too keen to point out to us, this is where the real work began. Before they would be training us, however, it was time for them to find out what they had to work with.

Most unfortunately, that would begin right now.

About an hour after the briefing, we were standing in the training academy's dojo. All of us wore masks that were meant to conceal our identities (we now no longer had names, just numbers-mine was #13) and for me that meant that I stayed as I was, as my outfit had been deemed suitable (which was probably the intended outcome on the Emperor's part). We were now ready to begin our training. The Instructors all stood at the far side, in a good position to observe our efforts. The Chief Instructor walked past us, his hands behind his back and his tone stiff.

"Right…first, we will be testing your hand-to-hand abilities. No use in guarding His Excellency if you can't even handle yourself without a weapon. We will be teaching you a special form of unarmed combat, as stated before, but this will be a test of how well you can already perform. Most of you are veterans or have succeeded in various more general training programmes. We therefore expect to see something special from you…"

He strode past us, and stopped.

"Number 37, step forward." His tone was cold and forceful.

One of the masked students stepped forward without a word, nodding at the instructor as he did so, and took his place on one side of the dojo. Assuming combat stance instantly, it was clear that this one was an experienced fighter simply waiting for a chance to once again prove his mettle. When he was ready, the Chief Instructor addressed the rest of us. We stood, silently listening to the briefing but in the back of our mind wondering who this student was and, more importantly, who would be the first to fight him.

"Number 37. Veteran of the Clone Wars…fought in battles from Geonosis to Utapau. Pride of the 501st Unit, one of the original batch of Clone Troopers to form the Grand Army of the Republic-and now the pride of the new Imperial Military. Just the sort of opponent to take you to your limits…"

He now strode down the line again, assessing each of us. He could tell which of us we were, as we were all stood in numeric order from 1 to 50. He carried on speaking as he moved, the tension starting to build-I could tell by the body language of some of the students.

Finally, he stopped. My heart sank; he was standing right in front of me.

"Number 13…" he spoke coldly.

I must admit that I was not surprised. I had been forced him by the Emperor himself-nobody else here had that qualification. It made sense that he would want to see what had impressed the Emperor so much about me and what I could bring to the Empire. At the same time, I felt sick-I was not a combatant at this level. This would not be a lethal force battle, thankfully…

I heard the Emperor's voice in my head. I was thankful that I was wearing a mask, as I was astonished that he was able to command me even this far from Coruscant.

 _"_ _Good…a chance to assess your combat abilities. And against such a well-tested opponent, as well. This should be interesting, my pet…"_

My insides burning at the insult, I felt myself stepping forward to accept the challenge.

"The Emperor's Chosen One…you must be something truly special to impress His Excellency like this. Let us see what you can do, give us a standard to all aspire to. Make your Emperor proud…"

Inside my head, the horror was growing. What would I be capable of under the serum? What would happen to me if I lost this battle? What would be the consequences of winning? Could I even win here? Of course, my body obeyed its conditioning and took its place in the dojo opposite my opponent, ready for battle. He nodded at me, looking me over as I took my place. Assessing, planning…

How was this going to pan out?

The Emperor was speaking in my head again. It was already starting to grind me down, the fact that I could hear him so clearly within my own psyche despite him being so far away.

 _Hmm…I think that a stronger dose of serum will be just the solution to this problem._

Before I could react, I felt the device installed in my chest rumble, and I involuntarily screamed as I felt a strange sensation of something being pumped around my system. It was like when the injector device had been installed, but much stronger. It burned, but it made me feel…stronger…faster. In my mind, I could feel control slipping even further from my grasp…not that it was ever mine in the first place. The fear fell away from me, and I charged at my opponent.

He took up a combat stance, but I flipped over him, landing neatly behind him. With the element of surprise temporarily mine, I launched into a vicious double leg kick into his reasonably protected back. This knocked him to the ground, down but not out it seemed-as he fell, he used his leg to swipe at mine in an attempt to sweep my legs out from under me. I saw the attempt coming, and reacted at a speed that I would never have believed possible. I leapt up and bent my knees, before landing in a double knee drop onto his chest. My opponent let out an audible cry of pain, and this time my body left him a few moments to come to and attempt to rise...using the time to set up a position to be able to make a side kick to his head. Visibly dazed, he charged into me in a tackle and succeeded in knocking me to the ground. The wind temporarily knocked out of me, I rolled to avoid him leaping onto me and instead turned it to an uppercut punch. I tried to take advantage of this opening by kicking me, but he caught my left leg and tried to punch me solidly in my masked face. Quick as a flash, I brought my right leg round and twisted my body so that I kicked him in the side of the head. This dropped me to the floor, but left him in a bad way too.

Lying on the floor, I surprised myself by leaping up in quick and nimble fashion, ready for the next stage of the fight. My opponent was unable to read, owing to the mask, but I could imagine that he had not been expecting this. I let loose with a flurry of moves, both punches and kicks, high and low-a lightning whirlwind of medium-strength attacks to his gut, arms, and legs. He tried to defend after a while, putting up his arms to shield his face, but I simply went lower and struck his legs harder. He tried launching a few power attacks, some kicks aimed at my gut, but I found myself weaving to avoid them fairly easily, having the strange ability to read the attacks before they hit. After avoiding a particularly vicious blow that was aimed at my head, I went down low and slid into him, planting both of my boots into his legs, taking him out onto the floor again.

While he tried to get back to a vertical base, I used some punches and kicks to lay into his gut and torso to wear him down. Nimble strikes-back, then front, back then front…repeat. He was barely able to get an offensive move in-which should have been impossible. He was a well-trained military cone veteran-how was I making mincemeat of him?

My opponent was less steady on his feet and was starting to breathe a lot faster and heavier too. He was looking pretty worn down, so the fight was clearly reaching its conclusion. Assuming combat stance again, I waited for him to get to his feet before striking him repeatedly in the face with left and right handers. With the man dazed and evidently confused, I launched a backflip which would bring both of my booted feet up into his face in an uppercut flip kick, landing me on my feet and him on the ground. This time, he stayed there.

Standing in victory, I looked back at the Chief Instructor.

Now that I had finished my battle, my mind was free to think again. In the fight, the increased dose of serum had subjected me to multiple effects. It had made me much stronger, faster and more agile, resulting in me being able to commit moves that I would have never dreamed of. The second thing I realised it had done was that it had improved my reaction times-I was far better at reading an opponent's moves and counteracting them. To make an already bad situation even worse, I found that I was thinking less during combat-I was simply carrying out my orders thoughtlessly. Normally, I would be given a chance to witness my thought processes (even if I could not intervene) but in the fight I could not even do that. What really scared me, however, was the feeling that I had while under the effect of that heightened dose of the serum. I tasted true power…and by Shiraya…I think I enjoyed it…and that was potentially the most disturbing realisation of all. I could perform much better than I ever could normally, and I think that I loved every second of it-even though the same serum that was giving me my enhanced abilities was also removing my control over myself. The idea terrified me to my core unlike anything that I have ever encountered before…is it actually possible that I could lose myself to this nightmarish serum?

The Emperor was aware of my conflicted feelings. I could hear his mocking laughter reverberating around my head, increasing the despair currently running rampant in my mind.

 _"_ _You enjoyed that…don't deny it, my servant. You tasted true power…and you loved every moment of it. That is the power being bestowed on you…you may indeed become a worthy asset indeed."_

I had become a truly deadly weapon…and if this fight was any indication, I was only getting started. What would I become by the time I was finished…?

The same question was clearly running through the mind of all of the students. The faceless hordes were staring at me though their blank masks, but one face was all too clear…the Chief Instructor. Stone-faced, as always, but his eyes told of shock…and fear.

"Impressive…" was all he said as I took my place back in line among the students.


	5. Chapter Five

**PART FIVE. A LITTLE MORE OF THE SAME, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU LIKE THIS ONE ANYWAY.**

 **AS 1SAAA MENTIONED ME, I FEEL THAT I HAVE TO COMMENT ON HIS ROLE WITH MY STORY. HE NOT ONLY REVIEWS MINE AS I DO HIS, BUT WE ALSO BRAINSTORM IDEAS FOR THIS STORY-AND HAVE SOME KILLER IDEAS TO PUT INTO PRACTICE. WE ALSO TRY TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO HAVE ASEMI-REGULAR SUBMISSION SCHEDULE. SO, THANKS FOR THE ASSISTS SO FAR-HOPE YOU'RE STILL ENJOYING THIS.**

 **MOONGODDESSKIANA-HOPE YOU'RE STILL LIKING THIS STORY AS WELL.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART FIVE

It was later that day. We had all fought each other, and our melee skills were clear to see. I was still viewed with fear and apprehension judging by the general demeanour of the other students (the masks made it impossible to know for sure, but it was a feeling that I could surmise from the general atmosphere), but I was far from the only promising prospect-there were a number of students who put in impressive showings. We once again stood in front of the Chief Instructor, who was eying us with a renewed air of pride, having witnessed for himself what we were capable of. As before, he paced down the line as he spoke.

"Well, students...that was an impressive first stage. You all have some true potential, though some of you stood out more than others. You have tasted one-on-one combat…but you will not always be able to count on a one-on-one fight. Sometimes, you will have to react to changes on the fly, against multiple opponents. So your next challenge will be…all of you against each other."

This caused a stir among the gathered students. They were all already worn down from the combat previously. The Chief Instructor noticed this, and commented accordingly.

"You may be feeling a little worn down from the fighting earlier, and desire to rest first. Well, let me tell you an important lesson that you may have forgotten but you should have all known by now. You don't always get to rest between battles-and the Emperor has no shortage of enemies that wish to see his benevolent and mighty reign put to an end. You must therefore be ready for battle at all times, regardless of physical status-your Emperor's life may indeed depend on your decisive action.

His eyes flashed as he carried on his lecture.

"You also cannot guarantee that there will be a limited number of opponents. There may be a lot of combatants, and you must be ready for that. So, with that in mind, you will all wait at the edges of the Dojo. Two of you will begin to battle, then I will call each of you to enter the battle. Once everybody is fighting, the battle will end only when there is one left standing. Take your positions!"

At this point, my head was spinning. I was now expected to fight everybody at once!? All of us fighting in a massive brawl-what was the purpose of this? And what would happen if I was the last one standing? Ordinarily I would have doubted that I could overcome this many opponents at once. This time, however, I feared that, with the serum to enhance my abilities, I would indeed be able to beat them all-and make myself a very visible target in this race to gain the most prestigious posting in the Imperial Military.

Unfortunately, there was one very nasty surprise for me…

The Chief Instructor stepped in front of me. His eyes flashed with malice.

"Number 13…you put up probably the most impressive fight I have seen from a first timer at this Academy. You, therefore, are the benchmark that the students must match or surpass to gain the honourable position. You will therefore begin the battle, and your opponent will be Number 37. I trust that he is keen to avenge his humiliating loss to you earlier today. This will prove to be a most interesting battle, I believe…"

The Emperor voiced his own thoughts into my head from across space.

"Most interesting…setting you up as the one to beat and using the entire student populace's ambition and skills to beat you down. Most cunning…I may need to observe him further."

My thoughts were more along the lines that I was being deliberately victimised, in an effort to drive the rest of the students in the direction that the Chief Instructor desired of them. Naturally, he commented on this too.

"Now, now, my plaything…you can beat this challenge. It may need a stronger dose of the serum, delivered over a longer period of time. It will be an interesting test for you, a chance to show what you can really do. You may even enjoy it…after all, you did last time."

I did not reply to that comment, and felt faintly sick at the memory of my fight-and the…pleasure that I had derived from it. I had tasted power, and caused pain…and it was bringing me pleasure. That side of me had never existed before-what I was really afraid of was that it would become the new normal, turning me into a monster that may wear my face and talk like me, but is not me. The thought chilled me to the core…

Outwardly, none of this showed as I took my slow walk to the centre of the Dojo. My opponent from the previous fight took his walk, this time walking with a purpose. The body language spoke of humiliation concealed by the mask, and this time I could tell that he meant business.

Once we were both in position, the Emperor spoke again into my head.

"Shall we begin…?"

The serum injector began its work. This time, I could feel even stronger pain as a much more virulent pulse coursed its way through my body, and an even more terrifying scream rang into the air before I realised that I was the one screaming again. My body felt ready for battle, but at the same time, my thought processes took a full backseat, having lost control completely. I was now a creature reacting solely to what was around me, conditioned for battle and ready to fight.

My previous opponent stood calmly as I approached, this time believing that he was prepared for all eventualities. He waited until I was close, before charging-I reacted in a split second, launching a backflip kick that brought both of my booted feet coming in an uppercut move under his chin. This dropped him onto his back.

"Number 43…You're up!" Came the instructor's call.

Looking around to seek out my attacker, I spotted one stepping forward already keeping eyes firmly on me. No charging, just a steady approach. Before he (I'm guessing that it was a male by the shape of the build) could get too close, however, I charged instead-and planted both of my feet in a flying dropkick into his chest cavity. Temporarily winding my opponent, I pressed home my advantage by landing a roundhouse kick into the side of his head.

By this point, my first opponent had got up, but the serum's enhanced instincts had already got that one well scouted. I slid along the ground, taking his legs out and simultaneously punching my opponent in the face as I slid under with an uppercut punch. This caused him to crumple to the ground, and he lay still.

"27 and 9!" Came the call, and I suddenly found myself facing two opponents.

The pair tried to approach from opposite sides, evidently hoping that one would be able to keep me held still while the other pounded me into submission. The fact that I was female was a non-factor in this equation-all of the females here (and there were a few) had gone through everything that the men had and had surpassed a lot of male rivals on the way. All of them had proven themselves as combatants, and feared nothing. Myself, on the other hand…I had no fear of fighting male combatants like this, but not in this brainwashed state.

While I thought that they might grab me, instead they both charged, hoping to catch me off guard. Instead, I reacted with a speed that surprised even me, leaping out of the way and letting the pair collide with a sickening crunch. Taking advantage of the opening, I let forth with a flurry of punches and kicks that laid waste to another pair of opponents. Four down, only forty-five more to go...

At this point, the numbers being called out started to become a blur-as did my movements, as well as my recollection of the battle. I was moving and battling so hard and fast that it was out of my serum-enhanced instincts, with my mental processes providing no input at all. I was letting loose a blizzard of attacks, coming at speeds that I would scarcely have thought possible. The serum was making me unbeatable…and to make matters even worse for me, the effects of the stronger dose of serum were lasting even longer than before. The last time I had been dosed with this stuff, during the one-on-one fight, the effects had passed through fairly quickly, leaving me in my usual brainwashed but self-aware state… Was it simply that the Emperor was trying to find the correct dosage for me, to ensure that I could deliver on his desires for me? What disturbed me the most was the feeling that I was getting as the vortex of fighting grew ever-larger…euphoria. I was loving this…every second of it. What in the name of Shiraya was happening to me?

As I fought off more and more competitors, I could feel myself getting to the point where I should have been tiring, but to my surprise and horror I found that I was pushing past that-was this another effect of the serum, that I could keep pushing past the limits of my own endurance? I could feel my body starting to wear, but not at a rate that I would be familiar with. The sensation was quite worrying-how far could I go, and how far would the Emperor push me in finding out? By this point, I was fighting in a blizzard of movement and was completely unaware of my actions-I was fighting too fast and too hard to be able to catch up with my own thought processes.

Finally, the whirlwind of fighting and barrage of bodies faded, and I was finally able to sense my own mental thought processes as the serum's increased dosage finally started to wear off. I felt tired, but exhilarated…and elated. I had genuinely enjoyed that-there was no doubt about that.

I took a look around me and was astonished at what I saw.

A whole cluster of bodies lay on the ground, twitching and wounded. They stretched as far as my eye could see, and at the edge of my view lay a set of astonished instructors. The Chief Instructor was staring dead at me again, with a face like thunder mixed with shock and…fear in his eyes?

All of my rivals lay at my feet, unconscious and defeated.

I had won the battle…

"Quite a display, my plaything…most impressive." That hideous voice in my head spoke again…

The Emperor was truly delighted at what I had accomplished. I, on the other hand, was horrified beyond my capacity to rationalise my thoughts. Slowly but surely, I was being turned into an unstoppable monster-and here was the proof. An entire field of the Emperor's finest, and I had laid waste to all of them. And most terrifying of all, I had loved every second of it.

I was making myself stand out from the crowd…but what would the consequences be in this deadly game?


	6. Chapter Six

**RATHER UNUSUAL FOR ME TO SUBMIT ON A MORNING, AND ON APRIL FOOL'S DAY NO LESS...BUT FREE TIME IS FREE TIME, AND I FOUND MYSELF ACTUALLY ABLE TO WRITE. SO, HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER. AS USUAL, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND WHERE YOU'D LIKE THIS STORY TO GO.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART SIX

I was alone in my quarters.

After my performance in the brawl, nobody wanted to go near me, so I was ordered to remain in my quarters by the Chief Instructor. His expression was stony, but there was something in his eyes-recognisable from my years of negotiating with Senators in diplomacy-that screamed his unspoken and yet potent fury. It burned within him, seething with malice-I had not only got a spot through high connections, but I had humiliated his very best students to boot. On the other hand, he dared not upset his beloved Imperial Highness (my inner monologue caused my stomach to turn over as I thought those words) by outright dismissing me. Unfortunately, this would place me in an excruciating middle ground-I would be pushed harder than the other students in the hope that I would be among the dead when all was said and done. If I survived, even he would concede that I was worthy of the position that would be awarded to me. The abuse would nearly destroy me, a fact that he relished, but it would ultimately make me a better and more useful asset for…him. But all this was to come in time…

Firstly, there was the evening meal…if you could call it that. It was brought to me in my room by a stormtrooper (no doubt high ranking, owing to the secrecy of this place). He said nothing-simply handed me my tray of food and left me to it. My conditioning resulted in me unable to even speak, so all I could do was lock my door and finally remove my mask so that I could eat my meal. The meal was not a lavish meal that I had enjoyed on a regular basis as Queen or Senator of Naboo but was instead survival rations. Tasteless, but contained all the nutrients that I would need…and that was pretty much it. Nothing more, nothing less than the basics of survival. It didn't take long to consume the meal-and as soon as the meal was gone, my mask went back on. With the essential food consumption out of the way, there was nothing stopping me from having to hide my face again.

However, I was far from done for the day. There were several rooms with gym equipment, so that we could maintain our peak physical fitness, and I could feel my conditioning-well-honed in my initial Star Destroyer journey-drawing me there to train before I would finally rest from a very trying first day. Unsurprisingly, nobody was using the one that I walked into-a likely consequence of everybody wishing to have nothing to do with me owing to my victory earlier that afternoon. While the solitude would have been welcoming as a senator, in this case I knew that the perpetual solitude would leave me with only the loneliness and depression of my worse-than-death existence, broken only by the voice of the man who had doomed me to this nightmare in the first place. As a result, the silence was eerie and ate at my soul, emphasising the torment of loneliness within my soul.

The gym was a masterclass in propaganda. Everywhere I looked, there lay images of Imperial power and prestige, and monuments to the greatness of the Emperor. The whole display made me feel sick deep within my soul, but I had to concede that it did an effective job in emphasising the importance of what myself and my fellow recruits were to be doing-guarding the most powerful man in the galaxy. These displays were everywhere and caught your eye no matter where you were working out-so you would always be focused on your ultimate goal, an effective propaganda tool-as loath as I am to admit it.

With the room empty, I started to use the gym equipment. This was not really my choice, but as I have already explained my conditioning was in place by now. My mask stayed on while I trained-the Emperor could not risk anybody seeing my face. The sense of time vanished as I trained-my mind was wandering into a role as a passive observer as my body honed itself into an even more lethal weapon for my Emperor. I could not help but look back on the previous training exercises, and a shiver of revulsion passed through my body as I realised that I had defeated the best that the Imperial Academy could muster-and this was before any of the Royal Guard Training had properly kicked in. The thought crossed my mind…what would I become at the end of it? I could also not help but dwell on the sense of power that the serum had given me. I had enjoyed the fighting and the victory…in fact, what properly disturbed me was that I loved it. Honestly-I had loved every second of it. That sensation was starting to scare me…

I then sensed a presence in the room. I leapt off the treadmill that I was currently on with a backflip, feeling the familiar rush of the serum as I entered battle mode…and I found myself face to face with the old veteran, the one that I had fought so hard against earlier. He was standing in the doorway, observing me train. He had removed his mask, revealing the familiar face all clone troopers wore-that of Jango Fett, legendary bounty hunter. In this case, however, it was more battle-scarred than Fett's had been, and spoke of more battles than I could count. This man had seen true combat…what did he want with me?

I managed to stop myself from attacking him, despite the rush of the serum. Faced with the rush of defiance, the Emperor's voice rang cold and hollow through my brainwashed mind.

 _"_ _Hmm…you don't wish to kill this man? Fine…looks like the serum could do with some dosage adjustments. Can't have your free will breaking through my carefully constructed shroud…"_

I ignored him. He added more serum to my bloodstream. Fighting it, I did not attack him, but stood before my former opponent and rival, forced into silence by the Emperor's conditioning.

For his part, my rival looked into my mask.

"Can we talk?" He spoke softly.

 _"_ _Go on…he may reveal a weakness that you can exploit, my plaything…"_

Forced into silence, I merely nodded in response.

He stood his ground, looking into the masked face in front of him.

"How did you learn to fight like that? I've been a veteran of the Clone Wars, bred to be closer to my genetic father than most of the rank and file soldiers in the Grand Army of the Republic. I fought in battles from Geonosis to Utapau, both overt and covert. But I have never seen anything even remotely like what you are capable of…who are you, and what is your story?" His eyes spoke of a deep respect, and a curiosity that his mind could not deny.

I wanted to tell him everything.

I wished that I could rip off my mask and reveal myself as Padme' Amidala. I wanted him to see the true face of the Empire that he serves so loyally, and I wanted him to help me to escape from this hell that I am trapped in so badly that it physically hurts. I wanted it…so badly…

I remained silent. My face was completely covered by the mask, and my body language gave nothing away of the turmoil that was racing through my head. Finally, my lips parted, and I spoke, but it was clearly the Emperor's voice and not my own, to my ongoing torment.

"My name is not important, and neither is my identity. I am a servant of the Emperor Palpatine, and I shall become the best servant that I can be-taking my rightful place at his side." The voice was cold and emotionless and spoke much of the Emperor's view on my role in his Empire. It also gave me an air of arrogance that I did not associate with myself normally.

To my surprise, the veteran simply nodded.

"That's what I expected to come across from you…you strike me as an ultra-fanatical servant of the Emperor. Rumours are circulating around the students that you were hand-picked by his Excellency and inserted late into our class of Royal Guard candidates. The fighting skills that you have showed so far have definitely proven to me why you belong here at this Academy."

In my head, I was angry and depressed in equal measure. I was being forced into this entire charade, and yet I was coming across as a hardcore fanatical Imperial!? As I thought about it, I could see why this might be the case-the only words that I had been allowed to say were put in my mouth by the Emperor, so it was only natural that he would have me talk of my devotion to him, even though this devotion was completely non-existent. As for the rumour, it was not too surprising that I was starting to be seen as the Emperor's hand-picked favourite…but was this causing problems?

I asked a question…and for once, the Emperor allowed it. Perhaps he was curious himself…?

"Why are you here talking to me? I was informed that this was 'Survival Of The Fittest…"

The veteran looked dead at me.

"I came here to commend you on your ample fighting skills and to inform you that, no matter what happens next, on those alone you have my respect. I also admire your unyielding devotion to duty, and believe that the Emperor chose well when he selected you. This move to insert you into the class may be unprecedented and unique, but I can believe that His Royal Highness will gain a most exemplary guardian in you to stand at his side. However, I also saw it fit to warn you that from here on out, you will be expected to kill your rival students. This is not a problem for you, as I will no doubt be proven right in that belief later. However, after your displays previously, you have made yourself a target and marked yourself as the one to beat to gain the places at the Emperor's side. They will all be coming after you, determined to slay you and become the best of the best of the Imperial Royal Guard. I will slay you in combat and only in combat, as I have a strong personal code of honour that I have abided by throughout my years of service."

 _"_ _Naïve fool…"_ the Emperor whispered in my ear.

"What of Order 66-the command to slay all of the Jedi?" I asked, spurred on by another command.

"Order 66 was a codeword-we were at war with the Jedi, albeit a covert one as they were suspected of potential insurrection and treason. Counter-measures were put in place should the Supreme Chancellor ever be threatened with a coup by the Jedi Order, and all those who died in Order 66 are traitors to the Republic. I feel no remorse or regret for what I did, I was merely doing my job." His tone was determined, a man who had long ago made peace with his actions.

He took a deep breath, then moved his train of thought back to the previous conversation.

"The reason that I bring up my code of honour is that there are students here who do not have that same honour. They will attempt to gain any advantage they can to move ahead of the competition, and there are even some I daresay who will try to murder you outside of official training simply to even up the field. They have seen your raw potential, and they are scared of what you may eventually be able to do. So they fear you, loathe you…and will conspire against you. They have left you alone to train solo so far but believe me…that will not last. I hope that you are ready for that."

With that, he nodded and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I realised that the veteran clone was right… I was indeed marked for death. The students had seen what I could do with the serum, and I knew that I posed a threat to them and their ambitions. And in a cut-throat environment, encouraged by the Instructors in an effort to produce the best grade of candidates for the Imperial Royal Guard, there was only one course of action to be taken…

Kill or be killed.

Those words rang heavily in my head as I continued my fitness regime…


	7. Chapter Seven

**AFTER THE BRIEF DIVERSION TO ADD TO THE ORIGINAL STORY, HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER OF PADME'S TRAINING HELL. THIS ONE HINTS AT WORSE TO COME FOR THE POOR WOMAN...IF IT'S GETTING TOO MUCH, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL CONSIDER PUTTING WARNINGS UP IN FUTURE REGARDING CONTENT.**

 **1SAAA, BET YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING A CHAPTER THIS FAST! HOPE YOU'RE STILL ENJOYING THIS.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART SEVEN

My fellow student's assertions that I was very much despised among the other students cast a shadow over me, and served to heighten my sense of isolation. The Emperor actively preyed on this, and served as my only constant companion throughout this entire ordeal. With his voice in my head, and propaganda all around me, I suspected deep down that it would only be a matter of time before it would all fall into place and I would succumb mentally to my new Imperial servitude. When that happened (not if, I was increasingly sensing) the Emperor would own me completely-mind, body and soul…and I would cease to be me, instead becoming the sinister monster that he wanted me to be. I was fighting it as much as I could, but when your own body refuses to obey your commands, it is all too easy to succumb to the misery that this inspires, and you can't help but see the negative outcome as far more likely. In short, I felt like I was falling…

Elsewhere, the training went on as usual. There was one more test of ability left before we would be expected to kill each other…the weapons testing. How well we could use vibroblades and blasters.

It was quite the experience…for a multitude of reasons.

There was an assault course of targets. We were each issued with a blaster rifle and a vibroblade. We were to strike both precisely and quickly, as per our remit-the best of the best. It was a solo mission, to see how much damage we could do on our own. The targets were holographic, so the course could easily reset itself. One after the other, just to see how well we could shoot.

Before the instructor called me, one of the fellow students walked straight up to me. The mask hid his face, but the condescending tone of his voice betrayed the arrogance flowing through him.

"We're not allowed to use names, but let me get you up to speed on who I am. I graduated the Imperial Academy on Carida with the nickname Dead-Eye, because I never missed a shot. I was specially chosen for this because of my aim, and I am not letting a pet project freak like you beat me at what I excel at. You may be the best at physical fighting, but you cannot beat me at crack shooting-I assure you. I don't care if His Excellency chose you personally, only the best deserve to guard him and I intend to prove that you are merely a flawed experiment and not true Royal Guard material. Just to make that clear…"

I did not say anything. Beneath the mask, my insides burned with furious anger-which was only heightened by the fact that my conditioning forbade me from speaking. The Emperor, however, seemed to be faintly amused by the whole display of posturing.

 _"_ _Quite the arrogant one…still, he can back up what he is saying. Consider him the one to beat…"_

I could only ignore him as my body obeyed its hidden command to begin the course. I picked up a vicious looking vibroblade and a blaster pistol. I shuddered inwardly, as I recalled my murder of Sabe' with such a weapon. Cold blooded murder…and now I was to prove how deadly efficient I could be with them. My soul sickened as I took the weapons, one in each hand. Finally, I took my place at the start of the course…and heard the Instructor shout "GO!". With that shout, I gave a scream of pain as the serum pumped into my system for what I was beginning to think of as 'Battle Mode'. I felt the rush of power flow through my system, the sense of euphoria as I became more powerful. But with this much power, I couldn't be more precise as well as faster, right?

Wrong.

I was a dervish, leaping all over the place and slashing here, shooting there. The session was an utter blur as I shot and slashed every single target, not missing one. In truth, the results terrified me-not only because of the speed of my movement and the utter lack of control that I had over my actions, but also how precise my hits were. I could both attack physically and with weapons, and my shots/blows would not miss. I felt like the ultimate instrument of death, and I had not even been trained as an Imperial Royal Guard yet. My blood ran cold as I realised my potential…

And then everything changed as a shot rang through the air.

I felt the blaster bolt hit my chest, and I clutched my torso in pain, despite my serum still pulsing through my veins. My mind was still clear, however, and I realised that I had been shot by a sniper as I could not see any other students around at this end of the course. I could, however, see the ideal sniper's nest that the shooter must have used.

My torso burning with the force of the shot, my vision beginning to blur and pain coursing through my body, I could hear that familiar voice in my head as the Emperor passed judgement.

 _"_ _You have been shot by a cowardly sniper! Go, my servant…show him your true power!"_

I felt another rush of power, and screamed even louder as an even more powerful rush of serum was pumped through my body. Feeling estasy and intense pain in equal measure, I darted towards the nest, leaping up boxes to reach the high window that the shooter had used. It was too fast for me to think-the serum was clouding my thought processes, as was the pain. All I was focused on was the sniper…and that one word. The command rang through my head, all-consuming and dominant.

KILL.

I leapt off the tall stack of weapon storage crates in a leap that belied how much pain I was in (I can only put that down to the effects of the serum) and gripped the window frame with my gloved hands. Yanking myself up, I hauled myself into the window, where I saw a dropped sniper rifle, of the kind that the Republic Scout Troopers had used, and in my mind I could briefly hear the sound of bootsteps on the nearby stairwell. The fast, frantic steps of somebody running for their life…

Trapped in the red haze of anger, I gave chase towards the stairwell.

I soon spotted my quarry at the bottom of the stairs. With pain throbbing through my body and my head in an angry haze, I leapt down the stairs feet first, and landed on my would-be assailant. A loud involuntary noise from my quarry confirmed that I had hit him in the back, and now currently sat on his prone body, laying face down.

I could hear the Emperor's voice, cutting through the red mist, serum induced euphoria and pain.

 _"_ _Kill him…kill him now."_

I raised the vibroblade, and without a single moment of mercy, I stabbed him in the back with it. As he screamed in pain, I raised the blaster-which was still in my other hand-and shot him cleanly through the head, ending his existence.

Only at this point did I stand, only to collapse to my knees out of the pain. As this happened, the anger receded, as did the euphoria as the serum flow reached its standard control setting, and my thoughts finally became my own again. Horror set in as I finally realised what I had done. I had killed a man in cold blood…in a non lethal training exercise. The Emperor had commanded it…and I had not been able to stop myself. To make matters even worse, the euphoric rush of power and

Pleasure had only increased with the pain. The fact that the serum had been able to keep be going even through the pain of being shot in the torso scared me even more, as it meant that whoever took me down eventually (I had a feeling that I would die in the Emperor's service) would have to inflict an incredible amount of punishment to put me down. The thought staggered me…what grade of monster would I become by the end of this?

As I kneeled by my murder victim, succumbing to pain and misery, the Chief Instructor came running, an apoplectic look on his face. He looked at the body, then looked at me.

He turned to an aide. "Get a medic here now! And a bodybag!"

He then turned to me, growing visibly angrier by the second.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you killed another student. Now, while students do die in this Academy, they only die as a results of the lethal training exercises. You have murdered one of your fellow students in cold blood. While I must concede that you have shown truly deadly killing skills, you also need to learn obedience if you are to serve His Excellency."

Once again, my words were not my own as they passed my lips.

"I was serving my Emperor. This student tried to kill me to eliminate me from this training course. I merely did as my Emperor commanded of me. Nothing more, nothing less." I could tell that the word were not going to get me out of trouble, but as they were the ones chosen by the Emperor as he pulled my strings, there was nothing I could do to stop them being spoken by my lips.

The Chief Instructor looked at me with disbelief on his face.

"I will investigate this…in the meantime, you blatantly disobeyed orders by killing a fellow student. You will be imprisoned for this for a period of a month, and will undergo…other training while the others start to learn how to kill the enemies of the Emperor, serve the Empire and most importantly…follow orders with unquestioning obedience-something you clearly need to learn.

A pair of Riot Troopers and a medic had arrived. The medic took a quick look at my wound, and soon patched it up with a Med-Kit that she had brought along with her. She did not even remove my mask, simply removing the top layer of clothing to place a Bacta Patch onto my torso where the blaster shot had hit me, before placing my clothing back onto me. The Chief Instructor watched this with obvious disinterest,

"Are we done here?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"She's yours" the Imperial medic replied listlessly.

The Chief Instructor looked at the two Riot Troopers.

"Take her to a cell-solitary confinement. Soundproofed cell. One month…"

I was helpless to prevent them slapping binders on my gloved wrists. They walked me to a dark cell deep below the facility. Throughout the walk, I could only think about the unfairness of the situation.

Learning to obey orders…if only the Sithspawn knew! I could do nothing but obey orders…and as usual I was completely forbidden to speak so he was able to punish me to further what was becoming increasingly clear was a personal vendetta. Why was he treating me like this!? The Emperor seemed very amused by it-probably saw it as some sort of twisted game! But I was the one who had to endure it! And now I had one month in a cell, with only the Emperor's voice for company. I could think of little worse…

As they threw me into the cell, I was yet to realise that things could always get worse from here…


	8. Chapter Eight

**WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!? TWO CHAPTERS INSIDE A WEEK!? WHEN YOU'RE ON A ROLL...**

 **JUST A WARNING THOUGH-THIS ONE GETS NASTY. SKIP IT IF YOU DISLIKE ANYTHING HERE.**

 **IT MAKES ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT I FELT THAT IT PUSHED THE HELL THAT PADME' IS TRAPPED IN, PLUS I CAN IMAGINE THAT THE SAS AND OTHER SUCH SPECIAL FORCES HAVE TO UNDERGO SOMEHTHING LIKE THIS, SO HERE IT IS. AFTER THIS, I'L PROBABLY GO FOR SOME TIME JUMPS AND TRAINING MONTAGES, TO PREVENT GETTING BOGGED DOWN IN THE DAY TO DAY STUFF. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE SPREAD OUT OVER A YEAR, AFTER ALL!**

 **1SAAA, THIS IS THE ONE THAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT BEING A LITTLE EXTREME. OPINIONS?**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART EIGHT

My cell was dark, with a single light staying on only for a few hours. There were facilities to do the essentials, plus a bed, and that was pretty much it. I was kept in darkness a lot of the time, alone with my thoughts…and the incessant voice of the Emperor.

The injustice of my situation burned through me, barely contained rage. I had been shot-and I had defended myself! No, I stopped myself…I had murdered my attacker. One man would not be making it out of this training course alive-I had blood on my hands without a doubt. The problem was that the Chief Instructor-who was clearly out to get me for his own reasons-judged me as being completely out of control. I was as far from that state as it is possible to get! I am enslaved by the Emperor, helpless to resist his will-and his will was to have me kill my attacker. I survived the assassination attempt, but the pain still burned inside me even though I was healing well.

The Emperor was a frequent interruption to my thoughts.

 _"_ _You enjoyed that, didn't you, my plaything? You tasted the power, the lust for blood…and you welcomed it. You embraced it, you loved it…you used it to your advantage. Just like a Sith would have done…I am proud of you, my pet."_ That statement made me feel even worse…the fact that he had enjoyed my actions made me feel positively disgusted with myself. _"Over time, you will grow to love your actions that you will undertake in my service…and become my servant in all ways."_ His laugh following this statement echoed through the pit of my increasingly empty soul.

He had another observation which creeped me out even further.

 _"_ _The pain that you were in throughout that ordeal…it made you stronger. It forced you to focus, streamlined your thoughts…you concentrated only on what you had to do. That may be worth noting down for later use-it seemed to increase your abilities even more. Most fascinating…"_

I had been able to think about it a lot myself, and I had come to the same conclusion. The pain had taken on the effects that he described, and it had forced my mind to focus on my orders as I became an unwilling passenger in a vengeful fury. What concerned me the most was the level of hatred that I had towards the Chief Instructor, and where it would ultimately lead.

A month passed (at least I believe it was a month) they still had me in the cell, and my mental state was well and truly submissive-I would have done anything at that point to get out were the choice up to me-I was desperate to escape from that evil voice that was my only company. Unfortunately, it wasn't my choice… The days all blurred into one, with time only discernible by the food being pushed through a hatch in my cell door twice a day. The light was left on for thirty minutes so that I could eat, otherwise I was left in darkness. With the only company being the Emperor's voice (my conditioning did not allow me to talk to myself, so I could not even provide company for myself that way) I felt my sense of self eroding as the Emperor's incessant talking of my role started to sink in. In those dark days, I began to believe him-that I was indeed his servant, and that this state of affairs would never change. The serum continued to pump through my veins, a never-ending and self-replenishing supply, keeping me very much under control and trapped inside my own head. However, my own head was starting to feel very much like property of the Emperor too…just like the rest of me. I could feel myself succumbing to his will…

Suddenly, one day (they were all blending in to one) as I sat in the darkness with nothing but my thoughts and the Emperor's occasional lectures for company, the cell burst with light as a pair of Riot Troopers dragged me from the cell, without a word. I was too shocked to even think of how I could respond even if I were able to bypass the conditioning. I was dragged to what looked to be an interrogation room. My thoughts gathered, and they instantly told me that this would be a truly nasty experience. I was not wrong on that assessment.

In the room was another figure. He wore a uniform that I would later learn was Imperial Security Bureau-he was a spymaster, one of the Empire's best if he was here. He had grey hair and a handlebar moustache and spoke with the faint traces of an accent. I was unable to discern it, however. Somewhere out in the Outer Rim would be my best guess.

"Number 13…you stabbed and shot a recruit in this Academy. With this in mind, there is only one explanation…you are a traitor to the Empire. You have been left for the month of solitary confinement that suits such an offence, but now you must be interrogated to discover your true loyalties. You will confess your allegiance to the Rebel scum or you will be tortured. I would advise that you co-operate, as I can assure you that my skills are formidable."

Torture!? What in the name of Shiraya was going on here?

However, the words that passed my lips were now my own-as usual.

"I will not comply with your request. My loyalty is to the Emperor…"

He smiled, as if deriving genuine pleasure from the position he was in.

"Wrong answer…for you. For me, it's the right answer, as I will torture you to extract the confession that I desire. Keep resisting, and we will spend lots of time together…"

He then looked at the guards.

"Strap her in…"

I was then dragged to a machine across the room. The machine was large, and consisted of a large upright gurney that would hold me above a hideous array of electronic instruments. As I was strapped in, it was slowly dawning on me what was about to happen-that this whole thing was real. I was about to undergo torture…and all to expose something that was not true in the first place!

What happened next was the most horrific part of my ordeal so far.

He kept yelling for me to confess, occasionally sending the odd electric shock my way. My mask was left on, but it did not matter-the shocks were penetrating my entire body. With my body constantly in intense pain, all I could hear was the Emperor's voice in my head.

" _You will not scream. You will not give him what he wants. You will remain silent, and will endure your torture, for you are my servant, and your absolute loyalty is to me. Prove your endurance, pet!"_

The fact that I was forbidden from even speaking meant that I was reduced to making involuntary grunting noises, as I could not even open my mouth due to my orders. I could feel my head hurting with every noise I made, however, and soon I stopped doing even that simply to reduce the pain that I was in. The pain from the electrics was becoming unbearable and I could feel myself entering that same state that I was in while I was enduring the pain from being shot. My mind focused solely on the conditioning and my orders, and I could feel the serum enhancing my ability to endure pain…but it could only take so much. One more shock, and my serum enhanced body finally gave out. As I lapsed into unconsciousness, I could hear the Interrogator note "Four hours…you lasted longer than I expected. Still, you did not confess. Maybe some time in the cell will soften you up…?"

The regime went on like this, on a constant loop. I would be dragged and dumped in my cell, and then be periodically dragged from my cell to undergo this sadistic torture, where I was forbidden from making any noise at all. This went on for an indeterminate period of time, until I was finally dragged from my cell one more time. Expecting yet another bout of torture, I was surprised to find myself sat down in a chair. The interrogator simply sat down in front of me.

"Well, I have to be honest. I have had you for a month, and you have not broken. I have to commend you…your loyalty to the Emperor is utterly beyond question. You have resisted any attempts to break you, and I have issued my report that you have passed the interrogation stress testing with flying colours. This was a very important module, as it assesses not only how you will perform under interrogation and torture-essential in your line of work-but also how you will cope with prolonged stress in your role. You may now rejoin the training. The other students will all need to go through this, by the way. Congratulations, Number 13." He held out his hand, a smile on his face.

All I could hear was the Emperor's commanding voice in my mind.

 _"_ _Shake the man's hand…after all, you've done him proud-and also done me proud too. Well done, my servant."_

Compelled to obey, I did so.

I felt anything but proud. My body had been able to recover from the torture in my last stint in the cell (I suspected that the serum had accelerated healing properties as well, judging by the fact that the blaster shot wound had completely healed while I had been in the cell within what must have been days) so the only lasting damage was to my psyche, where I felt infinitely less sure that I could endure my ordeal while staying as myself. It was becoming clear that I would succumb mentally to my conditioning as well as physically, and on that day, I would truly die and leave the monster behind. She would walk like me, talk like me, look like me…but she would be a true Imperial. I was terrified of that nightmare, but the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that it would come to pass. I could lose myself completely…

The Riot Troopers took me back to my room, where I awaited the next stage of my training.


	9. Chapter Nine

**STILL WITH ME AFTER THAT LAST CHAPTER? IF SO, THANK YOU!**

 **THIS SOUNDS CRAZY, DOESN'T IT? THREE CHAPTERS IN A WEEK, AFTER SUCH A LULL? WELL, SOMETHING SEEMS TO HAVE SHIFTED IN MY MIND, AS IT'S ALL COMING OUT NOW. HOW LONG CAN THIS LAST? WE'LL FIND OUT TOGETHER...**

 **EXPECT A TIME JUMP FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. I'LL PROBABLY BE PROCEEDING TOWARDS THE END A BIT FASTER NOW. THERE'S STILL A FEW EVENTS STILL TO HAPPEN, SO THIS MAY END UP HAVING MORE CHAPTERS THAN 'THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW'. I'M NOT TOO WORRIED, AS IT'S ALL PART OF A MUCH LONGER SAGA...AS HOPEFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO UNFOLD IN TIME.**

 **ANYWAY...ENJOY.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART NINE

I had been at the Academy for just over two months. In those two months, I had been tested physically, my abilities to fight and shoot being tested thoroughly. I had been held in solitary confinement, in darkness for a month, and routinely tortured over a month simply to test my resolve and loyalty to the Empire. I had felt my sense of self eroding as I became more and more broken down by the whole ordeal, coupled with the knowledge that this would be the new normal. I had even been shot at by a fellow student…

What concerned me was the fact that I suspected, in the part of my mind that was still mine, that the real mastermind behind the assassination attempt was still out there. I had been taken out of the game for two months (not that the two months had been wasted as far as my instructors were concerned) but now I was returning-would they try again? I believed so, as I had clearly become a target due to my serum-enhanced abilities. I would need to keep my eyes open…and hope against hope that the Emperor's conditioning would allow me to fight back. On the other hand, if I was killed, at least I would be granted a release from this endless nightmare…

I had awakened and was approaching the mess hall when the Chief Instructor approached. He had a face like thunder when he saw me, no doubt enraged that I had passed the interrogation. The interrogator would no doubt have passed on the report of my month of literal torture and given the grudge he seemed to have against me, I cannot imagine he would have been pleased to read the contents and learn how I had overcome another hurdle. Part of me suspected that he had fast tracked the torture, knowing now that it was a mandatory part of the course. While I had survived (whether my personality was surviving was open to debate) so far, now I had the feeling that things were going to get infinitely worse from here on out.

"Two months in, Number 13…So far, you've survived everything I can throw at you. Maybe His Imperial Highness did see something in you that I haven't so far…though there is still plenty of time to learn that you are not what he is looking for after all. The fact that you resisted the interrogation completely, without uttering a sound for the majority of the sessions, is truly impressive I must say. You have proven yourself adept at coping under extreme duress and stress, which you will need if you are to serve as an Imperial Royal Guard. You have also proven yourself capable of killing, and while that warranted punishment at the time, is now very much favoured as shortly after you were locked away, the fatal combat training began. We have culled the herd a bit-a number of students have been killed over the course of training. Many of the remainder will die as well…"

His tone was very matter-of-fact. Devoid of emotions, sticking to the facts of the situation.

He looked me dead in my eyes…well, the black holes in my mask that passed for eyes.

"You are now authorised to kill an opponent that you defeat in combat. Your regime will be slightly different to theirs, however. Your particular set of skills have singled you out for one-to-one training. You can shoot adequately well, so a few refreshers to sharpen your aim will be required. Your main training will be in melee' combat, particularly in the Martial Art known as Ashani and in the use of the Force Pike. You will also need to be taught the Guards' secret language, but that can come later. You will be worked hard to catch up with the others, but the other instructors believe that you will be a match for anyone in as little as four months. Your Ashani instructor is very keen to work with you. He will be along later. For now, I suggest that you grab your food and take it into your room, as is your particular custom, and use the time to train physically before the Instructor comes to find you. Is that clear, Number 13?"

Helpless to object, I nodded without a word. He then thought of something, and pulled out a mini-datapad with a short page of text written on it. He showed the text to me, and addressed me.

"There is one final thing-you will recite this, morning and night, twice a day, when I inspect you. This is the Imperial Royal Guards' Oath of Obedience, and it is the most important thing for you to know. Read it and memorise it. For now, take the datapad and read the words back to me."

I looked at the word, and could feel what was left of my pride turning black and dying. I was powerless to stop myself from reciting the words and behaving like a good little puppet.

"I swear this sacred oath that I shall render unconditional obedience to Emperor Palpatine, to exercise every power inservice to the Galactic Empire, and shall, whensoever I am asked, be prepared, as a loyal servant, to surrender my life for this oath." My tone of voice was calm and authoritative, the kind that I had used in the Senate multiple times before. This time, it was used to highlight my utter subservience to the nightmare that I was now trapped in, seemingly forever.

The Chief Instructor was satisfied, however.

"Tonight, I shall expect it to be memorised. For now, feed, and train. Your instructor shall seek you out in time, and from there the real training will begin. We will find out, one way or the other, whether you truly belong here…or if you are some lamb led to the slaughter."

With that, he walked away.

With my orders in place, I walked to the Mess Hall to collect my food. I was to eat it in the privacy of my room, lest my identity be discovered-a prospect that the Emperor could not allow under any circumstances. With my door locked and chance of intrusion eliminated, only then would I be allowed to finally remove my mask…which would only remain off as long as it took me to eat (which wasn't long, thanks to the conditioning making me eat as efficiently as possible) before my conditioning forced me to conceal my face once again.

As I entered the Mess Hall, I could see the other students unmasked for the first time. As they ate, they sensed the newcomer and all turned to face me. It had been two months and I had killed a fellow student in cold blood, so I was expecting some hostility.

As I walked up to the food dispenser machine, I was approached by one student. He was younger than some of the clone wars veterans but had an arrogant expression on his face. When he spoke, I immediately realised that this was the one that had accosted me as I approached the weapon range. Was this the one behind the assassination attempt?

His lips curled in arrogance as he condescended to speak to me.

"You killed a fellow student. While some of us will die here, a natural side-effect of my proving that I am the superior candidate here, you killed him in cold blood and before the lethal training had started. I warned you that you are out of your league, and now you have proven to be undisciplined? You know what they did to the undisciplined on the Academy on Carida?"

He clenched a fist threatingly.

"We would beat it into them…"

A grinding noise across the floor sounded as a chair moved swiftly back, and a figure stood up to stand next to me. She had regulation length red hair, and was a fairly well built woman. For her to have risen this high, her skills had to have been truly exceptional-a female Imperial Special Forces operative was rare. I took note-this woman was definitely one to watch.

"She's proven herself to be a killer, and she truly has a set of skills. In my opinion, she's the candidate to beat…I'm assuming from the body shape that she's a female." The woman spoke, her voice calm but authoritative. "She kicked all of us around in the melee training, and she proved that she is a better shot than us. You have a problem with that? Get training, and beat her where it really matters…in the spectated fights. Starting a fight in the mess hall will just prove that you are as undisciplined as you claim that she is. Not right for the pride of Carida, is it?"

A vein throbbed in his temple as he considered this.

"Besides, if you start anything…I will finish it. Think on that…"

The man looked lost for a moment, then regained his composure. He walked away, clearly not expecting what had just happened. An uncomfortable feeling at the pit of my stomach told me that I had not seen the last of him. I would ultimately be proven right, but for now, I seemed to have an ally in this mysterious redheaded woman. Or did I?

My conditioning once again forced me into silence. However, the Emperor mused in my head again.

 _"_ _An interesting turn of events…this may prove to be beneficial indeed. You may engage in conversation…but stick to the usual constraints, my plaything. As usual, I will guide conversation."_

The redhead knew nothing of this, simply looking at me as if expecting me to say something.

"Why did you do that? We are rivals after all…" came my reply, chosen by the Emperor.

"We are…do not ever think differently. I vow that I will gain a spot guarding the Emperor, for I genuinely believe that my skills warrant such a position-and this is the most extreme way that I can prove that to be the case. The reason I step up against him in your favour is that there is no honour in my eyes of a brawl outside of a combat situation. You dishonoured yourself in my eyes by slaying that sniper in cold blood, but you paid for that crime-there is no need for others to keep deriding you for it. I would rather face you and defeat you in combat, where there can be no debating the true victor. I hope to meet you in the combat arena in time, where we will learn which is truly the better candidate for guarding His Imperial Highness. Until then, I will do my utmost to ensure that issues are settled properly. Does that answer clear everything up for you?" She answered.

I simply nodded, and walked away. Sensing everybody's eyes glaring at me like daggers, I grabbed my food, and then made to leave the mess hall. I passed the Clone Wars veteran on the way out, who stepped before me, looking deeply disapprovingly.

"You should not have killed that fellow student…did it occur to you that the assassination attempt may have been orchestrated by multiple students? You may have killed the perpetrator in your bloodthirsty act, but the real mastermind may still be out there. I did warn you that you were starting to garner real hatred from your rivals…that said, the way you dispatched the would-be killer was truly impressive to behold-an example for all of us to aspire to. I'd wager that the Emperor himself would be proud of that one…" he simply stated, before moving away to let me carry on. As I left, I could see a fairly average looking young man staring at me intently from the corner. He gave a cold, calculating smile as he clocked my masked gaze. I simply moved off and out of the Mess Hall.

With those two statements, my head was drowning in questions as I made my way back to my room to eat my food rations. The veteran had pretty much confirmed my suspicions that I was marked, and that the sniper shot had not been a solo job. But was the mastermind the Carida graduate, or was it somebody else that I had not seen yet? And what about the red headed woman? Was she part of the plot, an ally, a rival? I legitimately had no idea…what a nest of vipers I had been cast into here. And all so that the Emperor could mould me into some sick parody of myself!

My thoughts continued in this vein throughout my meal, and the gym training session that followed it. Once again, I trained alone, as the other students either feared or hated me too much to make anything more than standard interactions. So, another period of hard training in silence was in order. At least I wasn't in solitary confinement any more, or under the watchful eye of the Chief Instructor.

I sensed a presence in the room. Leaping in a backwards somersault off of the high beams that I had been doing pull-ups on, I landed by the door…to be confronted by another female. This woman had tied back long black hair, and a cold gaze in her eyes.

"Impressive…" she simply commented.

"I assume you're the instructor that I was told you about?" I asked.

She nodded.

"I'll be your personal trainer. I specialise in Ashani, an unarmed form of martial arts-all of the students learn it. We'll also be covering other essentials as well, such as the secret language that Royal Guards learn to communicate with each other. You're behind, but I'll be pushing you hard on a one-to-one basis over the next four months so that you'll be more than ready for the six month assessments. That will mean fighting fellow students, and those fights will kill half of the students."

She looked into my masked eyes.

"You seem to be too good a prospect to lose, so I'll turn you into a killer. Understand?"

I nodded helplessly, conditioning forcing my movements.

In my head though, I knew what this meant.

My training would truly begin now…


	10. Chapter Ten

**THIS FEELS INSANE...FOUR CHAPTERS IN ABOUT A WEEK? WHAT CAN I SAY...I'VE HAD A LOT OF FREE TIME LATELY, AND IDEAS FLOWING OUT OF ME. DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN IN TANDEM, SO I'M TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT AND MAKING OF IT WHAT I CAN WHILE I CAN.**

 **THIS ONE DEALS WITH A FOUR MONTH TIME JUMP, AND WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN BETWEEN. THIS IS WHERE I DETAIL THE TRAINING ITSELF-HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE WHY I DIDN'T DO IT DAY BY DAY. BESIDES, WE GET TO THE NEXT ACTION SEQUENCE FASTER THIS WAY! HOPE YOU ENJOY...**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART TEN

The instructor was as good as her word.

It turned out that the Instructor, known simply as Ravenna (real name unknown, probably deleted from records) was one of the best at her job-any sexist objections to her being in the military had been responded to with broken arms and legs as she made her way through the Republic military. Her skills had attracted the attention of the new Chancellor Palpatine, who appointed her as one of her Red Guards. As a result of her success in this role, she had been headhunted for her unarmed combat skills primarily though she was a renowned sniper and had a good all-round knowledge of all combat methods, and offered a spot in the new Royal Guard Training Academy. I was her first solo training assignment, and as there were a lot of people wanting her to fail, she worked me to the limits of my physical endurance.

I would be up at the crack of dawn, get an hour of physical gym training in before my trip to the Mess Hall (she would eat her food while waiting outside my room for me to finish mine), then we would spend the next few hours learning Ashani. The martial art is mainly used by the Royal Guard, and gives us an edge over most combatants in Melee combat. This required me to be beaten to within an inch of my life on a daily basis, but I soon found myself being able to grasp the fundamentals of the fighting style. The serum's influence was soon being mixed with my training (the trainer was unaware of the nature of my edge, but was grateful for it nonetheless) and as a result, I was able to develop faster than the trainer had envisaged-by the end of the four month period, she believed that by the time that we were finished, I would be capable of defeating her on a daily basis-a feat that she was truly impressed by, as she informed me that very few had been able to accomplish this task. The fact that she could believe it was possible is what she declared made it so impressive. She still vowed that she would be working me harder to make sure this happened.

In the afternoon, we would work on more physical training, this time with weaponry. She assessed my skill with a blaster, as well as that of a vibroblade, and decided that I would need less time with these as I was proficient enough already. I would get trained on each of these once a week, which would be two sessions out of the seven. She also decided that I would need to learn how to use a Sniper Rifle, in the event that I would be required to use one while on a mission guarding the Emperor-this sniper training would take up another session, as I had a reasonable enough grounding with blasters already-the time was to be spent working on my aim and fine-tuning my use of the weapon. The other four sessions were devoted to what would become my main weapon of choice: the deadly Force Pike.

On our first session, she showed me a long staff-like weapon.

"Do you know what this weapon is?" She asked. I shook my head, truthfully.

She then explained the weapon in detail.

"This is a Force Pike. It will be your visible weapon-the others shall be concealed beneath your robes. It is a long staff configurable depending on requirements. On its lowest setting, it will stun-but even in this lowest setting, the shock will be extremely painful. Allow me to demonstrate…

She then shocked me with it. It was excruciating-I can only feel sorry for those who I would attack with this weapon. I didn't black out instantly, but I did after a few seconds. After I recovered, she continued her lecture, having proven her initial point about the weapon.

"This Force Pike has many adjustable settings-it can go from a painful stun, as I just demonstrated on you, all the way up to full power. At that level, it can actually penetrate durasteel-that information may come in useful someday, so do make sure to file that away in your memory. If you modify it with magnetic clamps, as this one is modified with, you can do this…

She then pointed the weapon at me. I was suddenly lifted off the air-I did not jump, I was propelled by some sort of invisible force. To make matters even worse, I found that I could not move a muscle. This was nothing to do with the conditioning-I was genuinely immobilised!

"Immobilisation field…impressive, isn't it? Use this and a solo assailant has no hope at all. Use it on a group, and you can take the biggest threat out of the fight while your fellow guardsmen-not to mention anybody else around-deal with the rest." She then disengaged the device, allowing me to land using my physical skills. I then stared her down as she continued the demonstration.

"The Force Pike has other uses, too. In between the stun and Durasteel melting, there are a whole selection of other levels. These can cause varying amounts of pain…and can be used for interrogation and torture, should His Excellency desire it. Allow me to demonstrate…"

She then spent some time demonstrating the level of pain that she was talking about, using the Force Pike to deal increasingly painful shocks-but stopping short of the level where it would become fatal. By the end, I was lying on the floor, beyond even the increased pain threshold offered by the serum pumping through my body. To add insult to injury, the Emperor had demanded in my head that I would not scream out in pain…so I did not. This impressed the Instructor.

"You endured all that without crying out, though you did collapse. Your pain tolerance must be abnormally high…we could possibly work on that, to make it even higher. For now, you know what sort of pain you will be inflicting on your victims. There are some that feel that you should experience what you inflict on others. One bounty hunter in particular swore by that mantra-that said, he did get punched into space by a Captain who didn't want him collecting the bounty on one of his crew, so it obviously worked out well for him. Still, even a broken chronometer is right twice a day." She let out a small laugh. "Wow…you actually got me off topic. That doesn't happen very often…anything to say?"

Unfortunately, my conditioning forced me into an ominous silence.

"Strong, silent type…I like that. I daresay His Excellency will appreciate that too. That said, your abilities do tempt my curiosity. I'd like to find out a bit more about you, in the name of learning how we can make you a more efficient killer and a much better servant to the Emperor."

That was my introduction to the Force Pike. I would learn to fight with it three times a week, and by the time the initial four months were up, I was starting to grow quite adept at it-in fact, it was becoming my most proficient weapon. I hate to admit it, but I was starting to grow used to the weapon-it was becoming an extension of my arm in a way. My bond with the weapon was growing so well that I was beginning to find ways to combine use of the Force Pike with the Ashani martial arts and my own serum-enhanced fighting style. My Instructor was growing excited with this development and admitted that she greatly anticipated not only the ongoing training, but also the impending fights as well. I had been dangerous before this, thanks to my serum, but I was now reaching a new level of threat-and becoming more of a useful lapdog to the Emperor by the day.

After an evening meal, I would undergo one last session of training. This would be spent working on the more mental aspects of the prospective role. This would mainly involve the secret language that the Imperial Royal Guards would use to communicate with each other (some of it made through gestures and unspoken commands), but there was also some lecturing on the value of obedience and to be ready to die in service of the Emperor. Unfortunately, I was fully obedient already due to the serum, but this was not known to the Instructor, so she kept instilling in me the propaganda nonetheless. Unfortunately, I could feel myself starting to succumb to the lure of it-it was a well-designed brainwashing course, constructed to produce fanatical devotees to the Emperor. What allowed me to keep my focus was the fact that my children were still out there, and that I needed to keep my mind intact if I was ever to be able to see them again. I suspect that is the main reason that I am still who I am (to an extent) mentally-that and my general stubborn will that served me so well as Queen of Naboo and then Senator.

When all of that was done, I would have to recite the Oath of Obedience to the Chief Instructor after one last hour of gym training. After that, it was finally time to get some rest…for a few hours. The reason for this was that we would be frequently under extended periods of physical and mental stress, so it would train us for these periods too, so that we were more used to them.

This was my routine day in, day out for four entire months. Over that time, I became a much more efficient and deadly killing machine-the Emperor frequently commented on my progress on his frequent comments inside my head. He declared himself proud of me…a statement that made me feel sick to my stomach, as it meant that I was becoming exactly what he wanted me to become.

Finally, the Instructor met me after breakfast. However, instead of our usual Ashani session, she instead took me to the Courtyard. The Chief Instructor was there, along with the other students, all awaiting the impending briefing. I took my allotted place, and listened intently. Like I had a choice…

"Students, you have been training for six months now. You are now officially halfway through your training. At this point, it is time to put your training to good use, and time to cull the herd of the unworthy to allow the truly worthy to rise to the top where they belong. As a result, we will be organising fights to the death between all of you. Half of you will die, and that is how it should be-those of you who perish will be laying down your lives for a chance to become a personal guard of the Emperor himself. There is no greater honour in the Empire than that…"

He looked dead at me as he said the word 'Unworthy'. My mask conveniently hid the disdain in my face that must have been emanating from my every glare, even with the conditioning in place.

"The fights start in a week's time, so you have seven days to prepare before you will be thoroughly tested in the rigours of combat. Good luck to you all…and may the worthy emerge."

As I walked with the Instructor for our latest Ashani session, I reflected on the fact that I had been able to cram four months of training into six. Would I be a match for the remaining competitors, knowing that they had a two month advantage over me due to my imprisonment and torture? It would not be long before I would find out. The combat arena awaited…

Unfortunately for me, not everybody wanted to leave it that long…

My enemies had not forgotten me, and they had been merely biding their time.

Now that time had passed, they were ready to strike again…


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A COUPLE OF DAYS SINCE THE LAST CHAPTER, MAINLY DUE TO A LACK OF WRITING TIME ON MY PART. STILL, NOT TOO BAD CONSIDERING THE LACK OF PROGRESS BETWEEN OTHER CHAPTERS IN THE PAST. NOT TOO SURE HOW MANY CHAPTERS LEFT, BUT HOPING TO WRAP IT UP IN THE NEXT FIVE OR LESS. HOWEVER MANY IT TAKES...**

 **THIS ONE IS A BIT MORE VIOLENT THAN OTHER CHAPTERS. YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THE FIGHT IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART ELEVEN

It turned out that the Chief Instructor had not been lying about the fatality rate of the training academy. There were forty-four candidates left in the Academy, including myself. Some had been killed in training accidents; one had been brutally slaughtered by my hand. By the time that these fights were completed, we would be down to twenty candidates-the best of the best, as the Chief Instructor put it. These fights would test everything that we had learned about melee combat so far, and also go a long way to culling the herd. If we survived, we would not only prove ourselves deadly physical combatants even without weaponry, but we would also show ourselves ready to kill in the name of the Emperor. It would also show our obedience and dedication, as we were being ordered to kill our losing opponent.

Before we could get started on killing each other, the Chief Instructor threw a curveball our way.

Five days before we were due to start fighting each other, the Chief Instructor gathered us in the courtyard as we were due to start out Ashani sessions. He paced up and down, a scowl on his face.

"You have another assessment due to be completed. It is one thing to kill each other, but it is also required that you have experience of working as a team. There will be missions where you will be sent in to warzones to fulfil the Emperor's will. You have to be able to act as a team-deadly, efficient and most importantly co-ordinated. So, you will get a training exercise such as this once a week, where you will spend a day fighting as a team."

He smiled sadistically as he reflected on the irony of the situation.

"You have spent the past four months learning how to kill each other. Believe me, this is important too-think of this as an assessment of your combat skills with weapons so far. The standard missions will be to develop your skills, but this is your first major assessment-you will have three of these in total, all before you go for your fights to the death. We all expect you to commit your all to these exercises and tests-after all, his Imperial Highness will be watching the results intently."

"Don't I know it…" I thought with disgust.

The Instructor carried on his pacing down the line, not looking at any of our masked faces.

"You will be given a set of armour specially to wear on this and any other exercise. It will be a modified version of our new Stormtrooper armour, but in solid black. Some of our armour designers have taken to calling it 'Death Trooper armour', and I quite like the name, to be brutally honest for once. You will change into the armour and be issued weapons. The training exercise will test your combat and survival skills by having you work as a team. The objective is simple-there is an old facility from the Clone Wars that is currently being held by an elite team of troopers from the Imperial Academy on Carida. You will go in, take them all out, and hold the facility from reinforcements. Stun only-this will also assess your abilities to take prisoners for interrogation in future operations. Should you make it to dawn, you will be successful. Good luck."

I was led off by my Instructor, where I was given a large crate containing my armour and weaponry. I was then left alone to get changed, as per my special orders from the Emperor to the Instructors at the Training Academy. My weaponry consisted of a Vibroblade, a heavy blaster pistol attached to my hip, and a large sniper rifle of the type that had been used to nearly kill me. The irony of this was not lost on me.

The armour was black and bulky. It reminded me of clone armour, but slightly modified. It resembled the armour that was starting to be brought in for the Imperial Military, now known as Stormtroopers, but far more sinister and better insulated. My guess was that we were being used to test this armour for Special Forces or some similar outfit. A pauldron went over my shoulder, with my number on it-13. I quickly got changed into my new armour, starting to feel the transformation into a monster. With the armour now on, I met up with my Instructor again. She then led me to the assembly area, where I was being briefed on my role in the assault.

The Chief Instructor looked at me, and gave my instructions instantly.

"Number 13…you will occupy this adjacent building and provide sniper cover for our team as they attempt to seize the building. Once we have signalled that we have the building, you will keep your vigil for reinforcements and deal with them as you see fit. Understood?"

I nodded, compliant as ever.

However, in the pit of my stomach I could sense something wrong…

After a lengthy march to the site of the exercise, I finally took up position in my sniper's nest. I sat down and took a comfortable position where I could stay for hours at a time but also have a good view of every inch of the battlefield. I was to wait until the battle had officially started before opening fire, to preserve the element of stealth. Enslaved by my conditioning, I was unable to resist the mission-so all I could do was watch as my body prepared itself for the battle to come.

However, I was then felled with a shot to my back.

Collapsing onto the ground, I could feel the shot being partially absorbed by the armour. It was still painful, and sent me into a state of mental confusion. I was then set upon by three figures in Death Trooper armour-and I could not help but wonder if this was part of the exercise. That was all laid to rest when I heard one of them say to the other two:

"Switch comms off. This needs to go under the radar at the Academy…"

My head spun. These were fellow Academy students! But why?

The lead antagonist answered these thoughts for me:

"You've been the privileged one for too long. The Emperor's Chosen One, the star pupil, the main frontrunner in the race to gain the most honoured position in the Imperial Military. Well, let me break something to you: you cannot be all that good as they seem to think that you are if you can be killed by your fellow students. And if we kill you, that leaves the field well open for the rest of us. A lot of people want to see you eliminated from the contest, but you are too dangerous for us to allow you to enter the fighting assessments. So, this little sniper post was set up for us to have a shot at you…"

I was not surprised by this…the mastermind had struck again. That also suggested that not only was he (or she, I had little doubt that it could be a female just as easily) but also that they had inside help from the Chief Instructor. That was no surprise-he had been gunning for me since my arrival, and these assailants seemed to be echoing his thoughts on my "Privileged" status. I tried each of my weapons, one after the other, but found that none of them worked. The Vibroblade was stolen from my belt, as they set into physical assault all over my armoured body.

However, my assailant was not through yet.

"One final thing before we kill you…you never show your face, you arrogant piece of Sithspit! Who the hell would the Emperor insert into this Training Academy under a mask? Whoever you are, we might as well expose your identity…before we expose you as the failure that you truly are."

My heart started pounding…I was not allowed to reveal myself. My conditioning expressly forbade me from revealing any hint of my identity to anybody at the Academy. But had the Emperor factored in this eventuality when designing my conditioning and building my securely reinforced mental cage?

As he (or she) bent down to pull off my helmet, my unseen Emperor sent some words to my mouth.

"If you do this, it will be the last thing that you ever do. I promise…I will kill you all. Nobody unmasks me…nobody."

"Like we care…your scare tactics won't work. We'll unmask you and we'll kill you." The lead assailant scoffed, too wrapped up in his arrogance and complacency to see what I saw…that the tone of voice that I had been forced to use was that of a true killer about to show why she was called such.

The lead assailant removed my helmet, exposing my face to the group for the first time.

The atmosphere suddenly changed as all three of my assailants saw my identity for the first time. The looks on their faces were concealed by the helmets, but the shock in the voice of the lead assailant told the whole story.

"You're the Senator from Naboo…You're dead!"

Compelled by my evil master, I simply smiled and replied in a cold tone that scared even myself.

"I know…so what does that make you?"

Quick as a flash, so fast that even I didn't notice, my hand grabbed the Vibroblade from the lead assailant's belt. I leapt up, screaming as I felt the increased dose of serum pumping through my body. The other two could only look in horror as I threw the blade into their leader's face, swiftly pulling it free as the recruit dropped down dead. I then leapt in a forward somersault that allowed me to land in front of the second and gain an opportunity for a throat slice with the Vibroblade, felling the second one. The third one had abandoned all discipline and was starting to run-I threw the Vibroblade again and it struck him in the back of the helmet. He collapsed, and I retrieved my blade before finishing him off with the blaster that he had dropped in his flight-a clean shot in the back of the head where the blade had struck.

As my mind reacted with horror at what I had done, my body ran over to my helmet and swiftly pulled it back on, so as to keep my identity concealed. My hidden puppeteer was not through with me, however, and had one comment to say about what had just happened to me.

"Unworthy…"

A sound of footsteps interrupted my thoughts on the horror of the attack. My Instructor, Ravenna, approached, with a new set of powerpacks in hand. She looked at the bodies, and then at me. There was a look of utter terror on her face as she processed what had happened.

"I found the real powerpacks…somebody must have switched these for damaged ones. This was quite obviously a deliberate act of sabotage. You killed them…did they attack you?"

My reply chilled my blood to the core.

"They removed my helmet…and saw my true identity. My Emperor has ordered that my identity was to be kept a secret, as I have no identity beyond what he has given me. They violated his wishes, and proved that they were not worthy of guarding him by attacking his chosen candidate in such a cowardly manner. They did not deserve to live after that…"

And with that, I walked away, leaving my instructor in utter shock.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**A LITTLE BIT OF A MISHMASH CHAPTER THIS ONE-A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SET UP LATER CHAPTERS, AS WELL AS TO LEAD ON FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE. AS A RESULT, THIS ONE MAY BE A LITTLE LONGER THAN OTHER CHAPTERS. HOPE IT WORKS OUT AND ADDS TO THE STORY.**

 **UNSURE HOW MANY CHAPTERS LEFT, BUT FIVE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ERRONEOUS GUESS. STILL, SHOULDN'T BE TOO MANY TO GO.**

 **THE NEXT CHAPTER MAY BE A LITTLE SHORTER THAN AVERAGE, JUST AS A WARNING.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART 12

I returned to the Academy, with my Instructor following close behind. My mind was raging, intending to have it out with the Chief Instructor-the only one who could have allowed my posting to a solitary part of the exercise, to give an opening for the group of attackers to exploit. Fortunately, the Emperor was allowing me to pursue this free will. In fact, he was openly cackling in my head.

 _"_ _Good…use your hatred, my servant! It will make you far stronger than you ever thought possible…"_

I finally found the Chief Instructor. He looked at me, and immediately donned his cross expression.

"You are supposed to be on an exercise! What are you doing here!?" he raged, his face going red.

I simply replied, calmly and coldly.

"I survived the ambush."

The Chief Instructor looked perplexed for a moment…or faked a look of confusion.

"What ambush!? What are you talking about?" He yelled.

"Follow me…" I told him coldly. He looked at my Instructor, and she nodded. He visibly paled and decided to follow my lead.

I led him to the sniper post where the three bodies still lay where they had fallen. The Chief Instructor looked physically ill when he saw them, but did not say anything.

"These three ambushed me and sabotaged the power packs for my weapons so that I could not fight back. They instigated a cowardly and opportunistic attack, and proved themselves unworthy."

The Chief Instructor looked genuinely confused.

"Sabotage!? Where's the proof? Show me!"

My Instructor handed over the sabotaged power packs.

"These were switched with the genuine power packs for Number 13's loadout. They would not allow the weapons to work. They also knew that she would be alone up here-the perfect setup, one might say."

The Chief Instructor smiled.

"Indeed it is the perfect setup…and it would have worked had they not lost focus, clearly. What was it that took their eye off the ball?" he asked, genuinely curious despite admitting the situation did scream of a set-up. He wasn't admitting his guilt in it, however.

"They removed my helmet…they exposed my identity. One of the conditions of my training here is that my identity is always kept hidden, by order of my patron, His Imperial Highness the Emperor. These men violated His Imperial Majesty's will, and were unworthy to guard him. Therefore I seized my opportunity, stole a Vibroblade from the nearest gloater as he crowed about his impending victory, and slaughtered the lot of them. I have no remorse and no regret, they were unworthy." It was a similar statement that I had made to Ravenna, but this time to my main enemy here.

The Chief Instructor swallowed.

"I'll admit…I placed you in the sniper's nest. That was simply to allow the others a chance at glory ion an exercise! This way, you could play your part without outshining everybody else. It is meant to be a team exercise, after all! It isn't out of the realms of possibility that somebody may have found out about that and made a plan. Our candidates are resourceful…one of the reasons why they are here. Now that you've sufficiently culled the herd, would you mind getting back to the exercise and providing sniper support like you were supposed to? They've been waiting to start their assault for a few minutes now! There's still an exercise to complete!" Over time, his confidence returned and his general angry demeanour became more pronounced. With his point made (he felt), he spun on his heel and marched out, Ravenna following him…but giving me an interesting glance that I could tell would mean that she was curious about who exactly I was. As for the voice in my head, the Emperor had one simple assessment of the situation: _"He's lying…"_ However, trapped inside my own head, I remained silent-a sensation that I was becoming increasingly used to, maybe even numb to.

In the meantime, I picked up the Sniper Rifle, loaded the cartridge and got in position.

When I returned to the Academy, having successfully completed the Team Exercise, I found my Instructor waiting for me. She had a conflicted look on her face as she looked at me.

"Can we talk in private?" she asked, looking around confidentially.

I nodded, obeying the Emperor's distant agreement, and took the Instructor to a small supply cupboard, where I began putting away my Team Assessment weaponry.

The Instructor looked at me, her eyes betraying fear…and excitement.

"I looked into your file…Corde' Sabe' Naberrie'. You officially do not exist, except for your record of enrolment from the Imperial Palace itself. Your name hints at Naboo origin, but it cannot be accurate-it has to be a codename. I'm right, aren't I?"

My head suddenly started splitting. I struggled to fight my conditioning, to tell her the truth, but the Emperor was having none of it. However, he decided to appease the woman her curiosity.

" _If information is told the right way, she may be able to unlock your hidden abilities. I'll take lead…"_

I stood in front of her, my Death Trooper helmet staring into her face.

"The name is irrelevant. A selection of names from his homeworld…with no relevance to anything. The truth is that I have no name, I have no past and I have no identity. I am merely a vessel of the Emperor's will, training in how best to serve him. My true identity is completely irrelevant…"

The lies truly shocked me, as it represented how I was being buried even deeper than I already had been. And yet it was also building me into the monster that the Emperor wanted me to become. No past, no identity, no will of my own…a vicious, soulless killer, a nightmare at the Emperor's

command. However, my Instructor's curiosity had not yet sated.

"I saw your fights in the preliminary assessments. You screamed, and your fighting style changed. The scream was terrifying enough, quite the asset for psychological warfare, but it was how you became faster, stronger and just plain deadlier that really impressed me. How do you do that? If you open that up to me, I can work with you and help you to realise your true potential."

 _"_ _A most enticing offer…"_ came the voice in my head.

Finally, I gave an answer.

"I am part of an experimental Imperial initiative for the Military Science department. I'm the only one of my kind, the Patient Zero. Affixed to my chest is a device that constantly pumps a serum into my body, recycling it and re-administering it. When I am fighting, a larger dose is administered that enhances my abilities exponentially. I am proud to wear it, and to test the serum in the name of the Emperor." I was truly disgusted with this statement, but I carried on talking regardless.

"The serum is how I defeated those attackers, and how I won the preliminary fights. It is how I will prove myself superior to the multitude of students here at the Academy, and take my rightful place at the Emperor's side." I finally finished, disgusted with myself.

The Instructor took a deep breath.

"Well, I've been training you without your increased serum doses, so you've been learning how to fight while at the basic level if what you tell me is true. From here on out, we can increase your serum dosages and I can train you while you're on the serum rushes. This way, we can find out what you are truly capable of and you will be much better prepared to succeed at this place."

She then gestured towards the door.

"We still have training to do. Your fight will be in two days' time so I'd suggest that we prepare…"

I nodded and gestured at my Death Trooper armour. She nodded back, and replied.

"Change back into your standard armour, and meet me in the Training Area."

With that, she left me with my thoughts again.

Now my Instructor knew about the Serum…having been told (through me) a part-true version by the Emperor. However, I strongly suspected that she now knew too much, and worried that this would have consequences further down the line. What would happen, I wondered…?

Another thing bothering me was the fact that the assailants at the Sniper Outpost were clearly underlings-the real mastermind was still out there. Who had really organised my attack, and was the Chief Instructor involved? Was it the Chief Instructor himself?

The questions buzzed through my brainwashed mind as I walked to my training session, now changed back into my Dark Jedi robes and mask. On the way there, however, I overheard a familiar pair of voices in a nearby alcove. One was the unmistakeable bluster of the Chief Instructor, and the other was the supreme arrogance of the Carida graduate. I took a hiding spot nearby and listened in-obviously the Emperor was keen to listen in on this conversation too.

"What do you mean she killed all three of them!?" the Carida graduate exploded.

"I saw it with my own two eyes-three corpses. They tried to ambush her and she taught them the ultimate lesson. I'd say your attempt at sabotage blackmailed spectacularly…" the Chief Instructor replied, barking the words out right in the Caridan's face.

"Three candidates in one go…it shouldn't have happened!" he replied.

"You're right-it should not have happened! Now thanks to your actions, I've got an extremely deadly candidate with the temper of a Sith breathing down my neck, accusing me of orchestrating an elaborate set-up that could have got her killed. She also blames me for switching the powerpacks on the weapons consignment that she used. You should be concerned…because I know damn well that it was all you, Candidate." The last words were spoken with such venom that I was mentally taken aback.

For his part, the Caridan was equally cold and collected.

"Somebody had to take action…there's enough of us who believe her to be an entitled madam with connections, who has no place being here among true soldiers and honest servants of the Emperor. Besides, I know full well that you want her gone as much as I do…" his voice was a low hiss at this point.

The Chief Instructor looked cross, then composed himself.

"Off the record, I want to see her gone. I agree with every criticism you and the others have. But this is not the way to do it! If she is going to get washed out of this training course, it has to be done in the right way. She has to be defeated properly, not ambushed and blindsided. I suspected that you'd lay low after that sniper stunt went so badly wrong, but then you orchestrate a ridiculous scheme such as this! All you've done is get four men killed, all to keep your own dirty hands clean, and prove that your intended target can actually withstand surprise attacks and ambushes."

The Caridan said nothing-he was pretty much out of options at this point.

The Chief Instructor then smiled that evil grin of his, before pronouncing judgement.

On that note, I've decided your opponent for your fight tomorrow. If you want to see her gone so badly, you'll be the one to fight her." He was right in the candidate's face at this point.

The man ripped his mask off at this point, visibly pale. "Me fight her?"

The Chief Instructor nodded.

"If you're really as good as you say that you are, and half as good as you think you are, you'll win the fight no problem and be able to take her out of the picture once and for all. If not, then she gets her revenge for the assault and the rest of us can focus on taking her out the right way. There's an old saying in some parts of the galaxy…if you want something done right, do it yourself."

He breathed heavily, right in the candidate's face.

"Dismissed, Candidate. And good luck in the fight tomorrow…"

The candidate simply pulled his mask back on, fuming, and stalked off.

After waiting a moment for the Chief Instructor to move, I made my way back to my Instructor to carry on with my training. My head was swirling with thoughts, but now I finally had some answers. I knew who my mysterious opponent was, the one who had been trying to take me out from the shadows. Not only that, that the Chief Instructor was out to get me…that explained the solitary confinement and the torture sessions. But now he was giving me what I wanted…a chance to fight him in the Arena. An opportunity to put his arrogant, manipulative personality to rest for good.

The Emperor could sense my thoughts owing to their clarity and could read my emotions all too well. My anger, my hate, my lust for vengeance…an opportunity to vent all of my rage at being trapped in this ongoing (and never-ending) nightmare…

 _"_ _You want this…don't you? To fight him…to avenge yourself…to kill him?"_

To my surprise, I was smiling and I actually agreed with the assessment.

As I trained, I thought about the oncoming fight. How it would feel to kill the arrogant Sithspit…

I realised that, far from dreading it, I was going to enjoy it…


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**OKAY, THE FIGHT IS UPON US! AS PREVIOUSLY WARNED, THIS CHAPTER ISN'T AS LONG AS SOME OF THE OTHERS AND THAT'S DUE TO MY INABILITY TO WRITE DECENT FIGHT SEQUENCES. OH WELL...**

 **HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER ANYWAY.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART THIRTEEN

The day had finally come…

My first fight-my first authorised kill at the Academy. I had killed other candidates, out of self-defence when they tried to kill me, but this time I would be battling in single combat…against the man who had organised two attempts on my life, simply to get me out of the Academy as he saw me as a threat. The pride of the Imperial Academy of Carida-arrogant, conceited, jealous, and willing to bend or break any rule that he wanted to get what he wanted. Fanatically loyal to the Emperor, but even more fanatically loyal to himself and his own ends.

It would actually be fun to kill the self-obsessed candidate, I felt. I don't know if this was the Emperor's voice in my head finally starting to take its toll, but there was no question in my mind of how much I wanted to shut this arrogant piece of Sithspawn up once and for all. I had spent my days in a state of constant fear and loathing at what I would be made to do by the Emperor and his control over me, but in this case, I was a more than willing participant in his wishes. I wanted to end this man's life, as I anticipated that it would bring me joy to do so.

I spent time training in the gym alone before the fights started. My fight would be up first, to set an example of what an Imperial Royal Guard qualifier fight would look like. That is how the Chief Instructor looked upon it, at least, or so he claimed. My personal guess (supported by the Emperor) was that he simply wanted me out of the way early so that I would no longer be a problem for him to constantly deal with. He had made no desire to hide how much he despised having me around, and it was becoming increasingly clear how much he wanted me gone from his Academy.

I had a burning desire to teach him what I could really do through my fight today.

The Emperor could sense my intense desire and anger as I trained.

 _"_ _You want to kill this man, don't you? You want to make him bleed, make him suffer…force him to endure the ongoing agony that he has inflicted on you through his treacherous actions, don't you?"_

"Yes, I do…" I thought inside my head.

 _"_ _Good…use your anger, focus it and draw strength from it. It will make you even more fearsome a competitor. I will also give you a suitably strong dose of serum to unlock your abilities…"_

Perhaps it was anticipation of the impending euphoria upon the larger dose of serum, but I felt happier upon being told that statement. I was too focused on the impending fight and too blinded by my anger to reflect on how I was feeling about this situation, deep in my subconscious.

Finally, my Instructor, Ravenna, arrived in the gym.

"Time to go, Number 13…"

I gathered my thoughts and followed her to the Arena.

The fighting arena was in the centre of the Academy, and reminded me of the arena on Geonosis-a gladiator fighting pit environment. The other students sat in the stands watching what would unfold, with the Chief Instructor taking a seat overlooking the entire fight like the ruler of an ancient civilization. Across the Arena, my opponent was taking his position. He had not pulled his mask on, so I could see the arrogance and disdain in his face.

This would be a hand-to-hand combat fight, with no blasters or VibroBlades allowed. This was simply a test of our Ashani combat skills, along with anything else that we could use to beat our opponent. The winner would be expected to execute the loser of the fight, to signify their devotion to the Emperor. However, I told myself that if I killed this man, it would not be out of devotion to the Emperor but instead out of avenging all that he had done to me.

"Number 13 vs Number 1…let the fight begin!" the Chief Instructor announced.

Once again, I felt the increased dosage of the serum pump into my veins. I screamed as I felt its power, rejoiced as I felt the ecstasy that it brought on, and felt my subconscious sliding away into obscurity. I had one task to complete…and I would do it.

If my opponent was intimidated, it did not show. However, he did keep his distance rather than charge straight in as the Clone Wars veteran had. So, I decided to bring the fight to him. I leapt into the air, somersaulted and landed behind him. Before he had time to react, I ducked down and swung both legs around his to sweep his legs out from under him. This sent him crashing to the ground, but he was quick on the uptake with an Ashani ground kick that I only just dodged in time. He then leapt up and hit me with a flurry of Ashani moves that my serum enhanced reflexes were able to match move-for-move.

The fight continued like this for some time, until he knocked me on the floor with an Ashani kick. He stood over me, with a posture that informed me that there was a taunt coming. Sure enough…

"In what world could you have possibly beaten the Pride of Carida?"

Seizing my moment, I jumped up and used my anger to fuel the serum enhanced reflexes. Bombarding my opponent with an absolute blizzard of attacks, I soon had him on the floor. Sensing my window of opportunity, I leapt up and brought both of my knees on top of his torso. Temporarily winding my opponent, I managed to spread my legs out over him so that I was pressing my full body weight over him while using my knees to pin his arms to the ground, while I punched him in the face with alternate fists. I removed his mask to get a look at his face as I pummelled and bloodied it.

"You ordered the attacks on me, didn't you?" I yelled in his face.

"I'm saying nothing…" he replied defiantly through bleeding lips.

"CONFESS!" I screamed in his face, before striking him with my elbows.

"Alright…Alright, I did it! I ordered the attacks on you! You are the standout here, and there are only two spots up for grabs. You outshine all of us, and you've been handpicked by the Emperor himself. We deserve that honour, not some nobody plucked out of nowhere. Not that this will matter…"

He then shifted weight, and one of my knees was lifted off of his arm. I felt a sharp pain in my leg, as I felt a Vibroblade being inserted into it. Screaming, I leapt off of my opponent-and my leg started to give way. I yanked the blade out…and felt another increased rush of serum to counter the pain. I screamed, and yelled "CHEAT!" at my opponent, throwing the blade away as I leapt head first at my opponent and shoulder tackled him to the ground. Laying on top of him, I punched and pummelled him until finally I wrapped my hands around his neck…and choked the life out of him.

I sat there for a full minute before it sank in that I had won. I had killed him…

As I got up, I could see my Instructor showing the Vibroblade to the Chief Instructor. Her face was apoplectic with rage, as she clearly was laying into him about the obvious cheating. He found time to give me a glare though…and it told of pure malice. He had seen me beat my main opposition…and he hated me for it.

I collapsed as the increased dosage of the serum wore off, and allowed the medics to take a look at my wounded leg. I was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the Medical Bay. Within my head, however, my thoughts were spinning.

I had killed my first student here in my first official fight…

…And I had loved every second of it.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**TWO CHAPTERS LESS THAN 24 HOURS APART!?**

 **I FINISHED THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER AND STARTED THE SECOND CHAPTER (THIS ONE), INTENDING TO GET BOTH OF THEM FINISHED AND SUBMITTED. OTHER THINGS GOT IN THE WAY, BUT I'VE MANAGED TO FINISH THE SECOND CHAPTER. ENJOY.**

 **LITTLE BIT OF ESPIONAGE FOR YOU THIS TIME...**

 **LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITING THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART FOURTEEN

My stay in the medical bay only lasted a night, thanks to a combination of the serum's healing factor and the medical expertise of the medical staff. None of them removed my mask, as the story of what I had done to the man who had dared to do so had spread through the Academy like wildfire. I was therefore patched up and allowed to heal at my own pace. Within a couple of days, I was ready.

My training was now changing following the first round of fighting, which had culled the number of candidates down from the 41 left after the initial stages and my attacks down to 21. It's an odd number, but the Chief Instructor is assured that the next round of fighting-two months down the line-will thin it down to the top ten candidates. How he planned to bring 21 down to ten with ten fights I had no idea, but I had an idea that he had a plan in that regard…and that I probably would disapprove. Ravenna, my Instructor, did indeed decide to train me in Ashani using the increased serum doses as an aid. The Emperor seemed to think that this was a good idea-he believed that it would sharpen my lethal edge and unlock my full potential. However, constantly being put through such physically gruelling punishment was having a detrimental effect on my sense of self-being exposed to so much of the serum for so long was starting to take a physical toll on my body as it got used to it. My body was slowly adjusting, but I would be fatigued much more after these training sessions, to the point that I could only focus on my orders as I could not spare the mental vigour to think of much else.

I was also starting to take part in more team training exercises. There was a large exercise coming up at around the same time as the fights, and we needed to be ready. So, we had random sessions popping up to interrupt whatever we were doing at the time. We would do Death Trooper armour and head off into the training, and these sessions taught us tactics such as concentrated and co-ordinated fire, as well as giving an opportunity to use the secret language that we had learned. Slowly we were becoming a well-oiled machine, though the fact that we would ultimately kill each other never left our minds (it never left mine, at least).

After a week, the Emperor gave me a personal mission…

I was laying exhausted after a particularly intense training session in my quarters. Once again, he intruded upon my thoughts and imposed his own will upon my brainwashed self.

" _What do you know of Number 50?"_ he asked.

"Keeps himself to himself. Very reclusive apart from training, where he is near flawless." My opinion was not based on personal opinion, it just stuck to the facts-my personal feelings were becoming increasingly irrelevant, unless the Emperor could use it to his advantage.

" _Flawless..interesting choice of word, my plaything. He is indeed flawless…he defeated his opponent without a mark on him. In fact, his opponent did not land a single hit. That is not just flawless-that is suspicious. I want you investigate him tonight…think of it as a test of your abilities."_

Under my present circumstances, I was not in a position to refuse his order.

"It will be done." Came the betrayal of my own lips.

I stood up, and sought out the quarters in question. There was nobody around to stop me, as it was well past lights out by this point. The darkness was proving to be an ally in this case, shrouding me from sight-my future codename would become all the more appropriate in this sort of mission. Finally, I arrived at said quarters. Listening out for any noise, I heard a movement inside. Finding a nearby hiding spot, I looked around from the shadows and saw him leaving his quarters. His movements were quiet, careful…stealthy. Sensing something was definitely wrong, I followed him from his quarters, using the shadows to shroud my presence.

I followed him through the corridors, to a storage room that looked fairly neglected-it was probably used to store old Republic gear or Clone Wars tech. It would probably be repurposed, but for now nobody came down here…and that was the ideal location for what it turned out my fellow student had in mind. He opened a container, to reveal a code-locked strongbox within. Fortunately, I was close enough to witness the full code, having picked up a lot from my stealth training, being clothed fully in black and being forced into silence by my conditioning. He opened the strongbox, to reveal a datapad. He gave it a quick glance, before removing a datachip and replacing it with another one. He then looked around, but did not detect me. Satisfied, he locked everything up before heading back to his quarters.

I did not follow him.

I slipped over to the container, and retrieved the datapad. Turning it on, it was clear that it was programmed with a certain purpose-surveillance. The datapad was linked to several surveillance cameras! I ran through them-some of these appeared to be hidden cameras. All were in training areas! No wonder he was able to learn all of our moves-he had us constantly watched!

I looked through the locations. One was the Sniper's Nest…

If he had a camera at the Sniper's Nest, he had seen my face.

That meant…

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind me.

"Predictable as sunrise…"

He was behind me, pointing a blaster.

"Corde' Sabe' Naberrie'…or should I call you Padme' Amidala?"

My shock lasted only briefly. The Emperor's rage was palpable-I could feel it in my head, all-consuming. How had this techno-whizz been able to penetrate his secret planning and scheming?

Finally, guided by the Emperor, I pulled my mask off.

He simply nodded as if he had just had a theory confirmed.

"How did you work it out?" I asked, my voice calm yet laced with steel.

He smiled.

"I've always been gifted with electronics, yet not quite as good at physical abilities. I found that I can learn if given time to study-so I've installed some study aids, in the shape of audio bugs and hidden visual cameras. I collect the information onto a datapad here and another one elsewhere-I'm not stupid enough to leave both of them in the same place. This conversation is being recorded too, by the way…call it an insurance policy on my part. I then collect the data from each datapad and analyse each in the privacy of my room. Then, once I've scouted my opposition, I win and get that bit closer to serving as the Emperor's Royal Guard.

The Emperor's rage was seething at this point.

 _"_ _A cheat and a fraud…how can he guard me if he needs time to prepare!?"_

However, it wasn't these words that passed my lips.

"And what do you intend to do with this information, now that you have it?"

He looked dead at me.

"I know your secret identity…I can easily expose you. I'm sure His Imperial Highness has a reason for hiding you in an environment such as this-so what I propose is that you throw the fight that we will have, assuming that we fight. That way, I can get past everybody else and you will find a release in death from whatever the Emperor has in store for you…he does seem to value you, if he's willing to do this to you."

 _"_ _Audacious and abhorrent…he has no idea what he is getting himself into…"_ the Emperor mused _._

One question was foremost in my mind, however…and the Emperor allowed me to ask it.

"Why are you trying to persuade me to throw the fight? Why not study me and beat me?"

He looked calmly at me, his composure holding firm.

"Because you cannot be beaten…I don't know what it is, but you have an edge…some sort of advantage. Once you scream, you fight harder, faster, stronger…and nobody stands a chance of beating you. Blackmail is my only means of gaining an edge over you…it's an uncouth strategy, but I'll take whatever edge I can to get myself ahead-I'll admit that openly. Who do you think got you assigned to the Sniper Post for that attack attempt? I hacked the system and orchestrated that…"

My head was drowning in questions and thoughts. He was responsible as well!?

My thoughts coalesced into one question.

"Why?"

He smiled that confident grin again.

"I wanted to see you fight, and a life or death struggle seemed like the ideal opportunity. I even provided the students…sorry, corpses…with the modified power packs, just to see you fight hand-to-hand. If they had taken you out, then you would be dealt with and no further need for action would have been necessary. Instead, you killed the lackeys, then killed the ringleader…but the shadow partner lived, and stands before you now. And your unmasking provided such useful information…I know what you can do, and I'm now prepared for you…"

The anger in me was building up once again.

"Surely you know what I did to the last one to expose my identity…what is stopping me from slaughtering you like the dog that you are and ending the problem for the both of us?"

He grinned again, having clearly anticipated this eventuality.

"The Chief Instructor…he will throw you in prison again. He clearly hates your guts-and this isn't a training exercise or a test. Besides, if I die, I've programmed my datapad to transmit details of my identity to the Chief Instructor. I'm sure he'd love to know your true identity…what he'd do then I have no idea. It should be fun for you, however. The irony, Padme' Amidala reduced to a puppet of the Emperor…how did you end up like this? I'd love to know…"

Incandescent with rage, I was ready to kill this man on the spot. I anticipated, craved, the shot of Serum that would allow me to end his days in the blink of an eye. However, the Emperor's voice pierced the red mist with a sense of calm malice. He had a different plan in mind…

 _Agree to his plan. Let him go along with whatever he desires…"_

"But why?" the voice in my head asked. "My conditioning says that I am to kill anyone that uncovers my identity. Are you saying that I am not to kill a man on your orders!?"

 _"_ _No. We have to find this man's data cache. The information he has about your continued survival cannot be allowed to spread. No, we must play it carefully…"_

"As you wish, my Emperor."

 _"_ _I have an idea…you can search his room if given the right distraction. That should uncover clues to the location of his listener bug datapad as well…"_

"What will happen to him?" I asked mentally.

 _"_ _He seems unaware of our mental connection…otherwise he would not be making this brazen offer. Manipulative fool…it's time he learned from the best. Oh, I'll have something for him. It should set an example for the rest of the candidates, as well as dealing with this particular problem."_

"I accept your orders…" I said, the helpless slave.

I looked at my opponent.

"I'll agree to your terms. I'll throw your fight…"

He simply nodded, and walked out.

In my head, I was in turmoil. I could let him kill me…it would end this nightmare forever. The alternative would be to have my identity exposed…an eventuality that the Emperor would not tolerate. By this point, death was looking like the preferable alternative. I would finally be free of the Emperor's will…

He was keen to jump on this train of thought and derail it, however.

 _"_ _There is no escape for you…you will remain my servant even after this. As for him, he will learn the hard way how a true manipulator plays his game. Oh, I will enjoy this…"_

The Emperor's cackling laughter ringing in my ears was an ominous portent…

What did he have in mind for that audacious student?


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**THIRD PART IN A DAY...WHAT CAN I SAY? I'M ON A PRODUCTIVE RUN, AND I THINK I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO FOR THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS. THAT ALWAYS HELPS...ANY REVIEWS YOU CAN DROP WOULD HELP TOO, AS I CAN FIND OUT IF I'M AT LEAST ON THE RIGHT TRACKS.**

 **TIME TO DEAL WITH THE LITTLE BLACKMAILER PROBLEM BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE FINAL CHAPTERS OF THE STORY...**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART 15

The next day, we were informed by the Chief Instructor that there would be a "Special Event" that evening in the Arena, and that we were all required to attend. My curiosity was piqued, and privately I wondered if this had anything to do with the blackmailing student that I had met the previous day. The Emperor sensed my concern, and told me to relax-saying that everything was in hand. All I needed to do was to follow orders, like the good servant I was.

First of those orders was finding out where the listening bug datapad was.

Fortunately, the Emperor had a plan for that…

I sought out the blackmailing technician in the mess hall, choosing a quiet corner to discuss the matter where I would not be able to be overheard. Upon seeing me, he followed me willingly, keeping that confident air that he had possessed the previous day.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, with a condescending air that made me silently fume.

"I want to know where your listening bug datapad is." I came straight out with it.

"Why would I tell you something like that? That's my insurance policy…" he pointed out.

"No it isn't…your data cache is your insurance policy. I'm not interested in that, but I think it is in my interests to know where your other datapad is. I can ensure that the locations of both of your receiver datapads remain secret if I'm to throw your fight adequately enough. Besides, if they get found by the Instructors, you'll be exposed sooner or later-and it's just as much in my interests to keep them hidden, I would say."

He looked me over, as if calculating the validity of what I had said.

Finally, he answered.

"Fine…" and he told me where to find the other datapad.

He then fixed me with a cold glare.

"If either datapad is not there after this special event, I will expose you. Do I make myself clear? I will not tolerate betrayal…on that note, do you have any idea of what this Special Event is? I've been trying to find out, but I have nothing. Must have been an ultra-secure channel…maybe even from the Emperor himself. You must know something, surely…?" he pressed me.

"I know nothing more than you do…" I replied, not feeling too bad for the Sithspit scumbag as I didn't know what the Emperor had in place to deal with this man. Still, the fact that he did not know what was going on either boded well for the Emperor's scheming, I would guess. While I would have loved to have been revealed, as it may have meant that I could get help at last, the Emperor had made it emphatically clear that this was not going to happen.

With the locations of both receivers, the first stage of the plan was completed. I took to the day's training and put it all out of my mind. He would be dealt with soon enough…

Just before the Special Event was due to start, I was alone in the gymnasium when I felt a mental command from the Emperor. It pretty much dominated my mental thought processes, so I had to stop and listen to it. My Instructor had been called away to help set up for the special event.

 _"_ _My servant…his room is currently empty. Locate his stash…"_

"What if he looks in and finds it?" I asked.

 _"_ _He is heading to the Arena for the Special Event, and will not look in until after the event."_

"What if my absence is noticed?" I asked, concerned.

 _"_ _It will not matter in the long run…I will ensure that it is fixed."_

"It will be done…" I replied.

I sneaked over to his room, hacking my way through the locked door through some technical wizardry that I had been shown as part of a training session, as preparation for a future team exercise. My entry into the room was silent, and I closed the door behind me. I then began the search for his hidden data cache.

A few minutes of searching high and low soon found two locations. One was a secret container beneath the floor under the bed, which contained a datapad. The other was hidden behind a false panel beneath the dresser. This contained the data cache. The ease at finding this stuff was thanks to another team training session, how to locate hidden data when searching enemy bases. It was ironic that it was being used on an Imperial student, but his case was a unique one.

 _"_ _Check the datapad for the transmit programme…"_ the Emperor commanded.

I found it, and promptly deleted it, as dictated by my programming.

 _"_ _Gather all of the items-cache and all three datapads, and destroy it all."_

"I obey…" my conditioning forced me to say.

I left the room, taking the cache box and the datapad with me. Nobody was around-they were all too busy dealing with the 'Special Event'…whatever that was. I had soon gathered all four items, and found a suitable empty container to hide them all in-along with a small explosive device, set on a timer for about two minutes' time. It would look like a munitions accident…

The 'Accident' set up, I went to the Arena for the Special Event.

The Chief Instructor was fuming as he saw me. My instructor, Ravenna, stood beside him.

"You're late! Where have you been !?" he exploded.

"I was completing my training session, Chief Instructor." I lied, guided by the Emperor.

He seemed unsatisfied by this, though he did not question it.

"Now you'd better get seated, I'll need to introduce this whole thing."

As I walked away with Ravenna, it occurred to me that the Chief Instructor had looked nervous…I'd even go as far as to say scared. Something was truly wrong here if he was scared…I pushed it to the back of my mind and took my seat in the Arena's viewing lounge right at the back. The Arena's lounge was beneath the Arena, and was meant to provide a better view of the combat than sitiing up in the stands-this was to be used on occasion that a lesson needed to be taught, we were told. Video screens showed visual details, such as facial expressions and different angles on fights, to make studying far easier. It wouldn't be possible to hear those in the Arena itself, so microphones and amplifiers were set up to transmit the sounds.

The Chief Instructor was in the Arena.

"Candidates…I have a special surprise for you. The Emperor himself has heard of your results from your Academy training so far, and would greatly like to see an exhibition fight, to see how the best of you can do against a secret opponent of his choosing. So, the best of us…Number 50, step forward! You have caught the attention of the Emperor, so you will be fighting…"

I saw the blackmailer stand up, looking genuinely confused and worried. Had he anticipated this? What would he do without his cameras and bugs? Would he be able to adapt?

He took his position in the Arena, unmasked, holding his mask in his hand.

The Chief Instructor swallowed, his fear starting to show.

"Candidates, the Emperor has sent a very special opponent to show you precisely what it means to stand at the Emperor's side. He is not here very long, as he is between very important Imperial business, but he has agreed to fight the best in the Academy. Your opponent…"

The door opened, and the candidate raised his force pike in one hand.

The atmosphere in the room turned fearful and awestruck as the opponent revealed himself.

A mechanical ironlung breathing, that terrifying black armour…red lightsabre ignited…

By Shiraya, it was Darth Vader himself…

The Emperor was laughing in my head as I saw the monster once known as my husband, Anakin Skywalker, enter the Arena, lightsaber drawn. The candidate in the Arena had gone deathly pale…he was in no way prepared for this! He quickly put his mask on, before donning his mask and attempting to fend off Vader.

It was a one-sided fight…

Vader simply raised one hand, and suddenly lifted the blackmailer in the air using the Force. He dropped the Force Pike, and clutched at his throat, as if he was choking. Vader used his other hand to raise his lightsaber and cleave the man clean in two.

Vader looked at his opponent, and addressed the aghast Chief Instructor.

"All too easy…completely unworthy. Keep trying, Chief Instructor…"

He then turned and strode out, his black cape swishing behind him.

The Emperor was laughing in my head, cackling with glee.

"Good…good…a lesson to the Academy, and a problem dealt with. A successful plan…"

In my head, I was utterly torn apart. My blackmailer had been murdered by my husband, who had not even stuck around for me to even attempt to find him…probably a deliberate move on the part of the Emperor. The blackmailer was gone, his cache of information was gone, and any information regarding my survival was gone as well. I had been successfully buried once again…

My despair at this mixed with my joy at being rid of the blackmailer, creating quite a toxic brew in my head as I joined Ravenna for my next training session…


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**OKAY, I'M UNSURE ABOUT HOW TO PROGRESS THIS ONE. SHOULD I HAVE WRITTEN UP THE TEAM TRAINING EXERCISES, OR IS SUMMING UP THE FINAL FEW MONTHS OF TRAINING FINE IN THIS FORM? AT LEAST IT MEANS THAT WE ARE FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE ENDING...**

 **IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS, LET ME KNOW. IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE NEARLY READY TO FINISH. A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS LEFT...4 MAXIMUM. IT'S ALREADY GOUNG TO BE DOUBLE THE LENGTH OF THE PARENT STORY...HOPEFULLY IT'S WORTH IT THOUGH. JUST THINK OF IT AS A VERY LONG COMBINED STORY.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART 16

After the example set by Darth Vader (my skin still crawls that he was the method chosen by the Emperor to deal with our mutual blackmailer) everybody was training harder than ever, as nobody wanted to have to deal with Vader (a generally accepted thought belief in the Empire). As a result, there were fewer shenanigans aimed at getting me eliminated early from the Academy. The outcome of this was that I was able to focus all my attention on my training…and allowing the Emperor's mental brainwashing to potentially start to take hold. The last few months of training were the most gruelling of the lot, but I was becoming better acclimatised to deal with it.

As far as training goes, my training with the Serum on higher doses was going well. I was finding it less draining physically, which suggested that my body was growing used to the serum at such high levels. I was unaware of the negative consequences of this at the time, but I would learn in time. The serum was working wonders with my Ashani-I was now far more effective while under the high serum doses-much faster and stronger with my attacks, and now I could co-ordinate the Ashani with my more…innovative offence, to create a fighting style that Ravenna referred to as unique to me. She still had no idea of the full story of my "creation" but she had no doubt that it had been a successful experiment, and believed that I had it in me to lay waste to the entire field of competitors at the Academy.

As for the other areas, my grasp of stealth was growing exemplary according to Ravenna, and I was also becoming a crack shot with the sniper rifle. She commented that I could probably give the Imperial Scouts a few lessons. I was now fluent in the secret language, to the point that it was now pretty much the only language that I spoke when talking among the other students. I was now proficient in the use of all of my assigned weapons, and especially so with the Force Pike. It was fast becoming my preferred weapon for my brainwashed conditioning, owing to its versatility. I was finding it becoming very comfortable in use, like an extension of my arm. I didn't like to admit it, but I found myself enjoying using it-though I can't think why I've started to think like that.

There are two new items on the curriculum here in preparation for our next batch of tests. The first is piloting skills-the Chief Instructor believes that it is essential that we can pilot a craft, in case a mission were to go awry and we needed to get the VIP-in this case the Emperor-away in a vehicle without the aid of a convenient pilot (an uncommon but not unheard of eventuality). I had some piloting skills from my time on Naboo, including flying my own starship, so I knew the basics. On the positive side, the serum did not add anything to the piloting (save perhaps an increase in reaction times) so I was on more of an even keel with the other candidates.

The other skill was torture and interrogation. This I was less comfortable with, understandably…but there was nothing in my conditioning that could have prevented it. The subjects were each other, so it was the interrogation part of the course that I ad already undergone, but the others were now going through it…albeit a less extreme version. I hate to admit it, but as far as interrogation and torture go, I've acclimatised quite well to what it takes to cause pain. It still makes me feel sick to my stomach…or it did in the beginning. Now it simply makes me feel numb…I suspect that this is a bad thing, as it may signify that I am finally beginning to lose myself to the brainwashing and propaganda. It is a strong fear of mine-that I may lose myself completely.

Four months have passed since Vader's example, and the final assessments are in sight. There are five of us left now, reduced from the twenty that went into the second round of fights. The twenty were culled to ten, and the ten went down to five after the third round. As for my opponents, both of them were males of the fairly overconfident variety-not a patch on the blackmailer or the mastermind as far as arrogance went, but very Imperial in their beliefs and very set in the idea that they were going to be the one to finally defeat me and kill me, thus eliminating me. Both of them put up a good fight, even with the enhanced serum boosting me, but in the end, the result was the same. I defeated them both…and I killed them both. The executions were efficient but violent, and what disturbed me was the fact that I was becoming increasingly apathetic to the suffering that I was inflicting on others-that I was being forced to inflict. I found myself wishing for somebody to end me, to end my nightmare and my suffering. However, as the training stretched on and my skills became ever deadlier I found the Emperor's words beginning to sink in and I realised that I would indeed last the distance and become his new servant. The thought left me hollow and sickened, but unfortunately I found myself becoming more and more numb to the idea. I may indeed be losing myself…

There were two team training exercises to assess us as well. The first was not so much a team exercise as another setup. The Chief Instructor declared that one of us would be battling the rest solo-guess who he selected to do the solo run? I was to defend myself and attempt to stun as many of my opposition as possible while they invaded my outpost. There were multiple reasons for this test. One was that it set me up for a major humiliation if the others ganged up on me-which I suspect that the Chief Instructor was counting on. The second was for the team to gel together, to unite against one very-well equipped opponent (I had my Sniper Rifle with me, as well as my Death Trooper armour, which I have to admit was quite comfortable as well as strong) and work properly as a team, to put into action all of the lessons that they had been working on. I was the last one standing…and the Chief Instructor was visibly fuming when the results of the exercise came in. The fact that I was exhausted after the three-day exercise was little consolation. He had stacked the deck once again, and it had blown up in his face.

The second exercise had been the ten of us, just before we all fought and ten went down to five. This was a mock mission, albeit one gone well and truly awry. We would be with our basic weapons against a squad of veteran Clone Troopers, well hardened and battle tested veterans of previous campaigns. Our mission was to penetrate a compound, retrieve a VIP, and get the VIP out of the area. It was stun shooting as well, with punishments attached if we were stunned and captured. Nobody did, thankfully. The VIP hostage turned out to be the Chief Instructor, in the guise of an Imperial regional governor. He remained silent throughout the exercise, gathering his observations before letting us all have it once we had commandeered a new Imperial Shuttle to get back to the Academy. All of us came in for some criticism, but none more so than me. To my credit, everybody seemed to come in for some form of criticism, but I had the feeling that I was the only one that he genuinely meant it with-he was seething with hate at this point, determined to see me thrown out of the Academy and killed but knowing that he was running out of opportunities to do so.

We are now training for the final assessment. There is one final team exercise, before a series of fights...all before the Emperor himself, which was a particularly ominous development. The catch with the final fights is that there is one candidate left over-how would they resolve this issue? Three more would still probably die-there were only two posts to become Royal Guards, and everybody wanted them. The four other candidates in my mind did represent the best of the best of the Empire, however…they had all truly earned their spots here.

There is another graduate from the Imperial Academy on Carida, albeit this one is far more quiet about his abilities and simply lets his actions speak for themselves. He's very Imperialistic, which is probably due to coming from a world drowning in Imperial propaganda-he sees the Empire as a new beginning for the galaxy, and is keen to ensuring himself a place in the New Order. He represents the future, and one where the Empire will not need to be reliant on cloning technology to keep the galaxy in its iron grip.

If he represented the future, the next candidate represented the past. The veteran clone trooper, the man who wore the face of Jango Fett, was still here. Quiet but confident in his abilities, and with a keen code of personal honour (that hinted at some slight abnormalities during the cloning process, as he had developed an individual personality) he was one of the best here and had proven it repeatedly. He had made it clear that he would commit torture and do anything ordered of him, but if it collided with his sense of honour, then I would believe that he may take issue with it.

The other two were women, thus making us quite an unusual class in the sense that there were more females than males. This was unprecedented at the Academy, and would not happen too often in the future. Both women represented two different kinds of Imperial female.

The first one was the one that had spoken to me in the mess hall on that memorable incident. She was actually more of a man than half of the field-being well built and well disciplined. She did not regard herself as a female, simply putting herself through everything that the males did and surpassing them at their own game. She was confident and disciplined, and would follow any order without question. She was also fiercely loyal to the Emperor and the Imperial military, and would no doubt prove herself a fine Imperial Royal Guard or Special Forces operative.

The other woman I had not really engaged with, as she preferred to keep herself to herself. She was a very cold woman, with regulation length black hair and piercing blue eyes. Her demeanour was basically that of an ice queen, and I suspect that it was formed as a defence against the sexist culture that she had encountered throughout the Academy. She had proven them all wrong though, by managing to excel by working twice as hard as them simply to get noticed. Fortunately, one officer at the Academy had noticed her, and believed that her skills made her suitable for the Imperial Royal Guard programme. The Emperor seemed to agree, and she had gained a place here. So far, she had not disappointed.

Finally, we have reached the twelve month mark. No more training. This is it…one final team exercise, before the final set of fights to the death. My ordeal will soon be at an end…and a new one will begin.

The final assessments await…


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**A SHORTER, CALM BEFORE THE STORM CHAPTER BEFORE THE ACTUAL FINALE. HOPING TO HAVE THE FINALE CHAPTER WRITTEN SOON-MAYBE IT'LL BE TWO CHAPTERS. WE'LL SEE WHAT COMES OUT. HOPE THIS WORKS OKAY THOUGH.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART 17

After twelve months and countless training sessions, constant bombardment of propaganda and daily beatings that pushed the limit of physical endurance, the final fights were upon us. Everything the Emperor had forced me to do while at the Royal Guard Training Academy would come down to this. This was the moment when I would finally prove that I belonged at his side, by beating the best that the Empire had to offer. The very thought of it would once have affronted me, but I was growing apathetic to the idea after a year at the Academy. My fondest desire was once to be found and rescued from my conditioning (being unable to free myself, due to being a controlled slave), but when it became clear that this was never an option, I simply desired to be killed by the lethal turnover rate of candidates-the fighting was to the death, to produce the best possible candidates for the Imperial Royal Guard. However, this death seeking hope was also dashed as I became ever more deadly an asset for the Emperor-and there was no way that the Emperor would allow such an asset as me to be killed, not when he had me under his mental control through the Force and dictate my every move. I was now fully aware of what sort of operative I would become to him, and the thought chilled my blood as I realised that I had no hope of changing my fate.

The final team exercise had been a tough one. It was a true test of co-operation as there were only five of us. We had all been captured by the enemy (another group of Carida troopers) and thrown into an old prison-I suspect that there may have been a penal colony on this world at one time, or it will be a penal colony. It's a bit of a mystery, to be honest. We had been captured and were undergoing interrogation (one of Carida's finest interrogators was in charge here), to test our skills at resisting torture and maintaining our loyalty to the Empire. We were to escape our cells using our Ashani skills (I was masked, naturally) and retrieve our armour and weapons. After that, we were to seek out a trooper that would be holding the exit code for our particular wing of the prison-there were five wings in all, and each wing had a different exit code so each of us would have to gain the relevant information individually, using the various torture techniques we had learned.

Once we had reunited in the prison's courtyard (having escaped our respective wings), we were then to escape as a team, stealing a suitable vehicle and making sure to fend off some of Carida's finest. It was quite the test, especially as the troopers were actually pretty good and we were held in separate wings of the prison. They even sent an entire legion of troopers to attempt to prevent us from escaping the prison to the nearby landing pad, just to make it a major challenge. It was all stun settings (I'm guessing that it was a training session for the Carida troopers as well) but it truly tested every aspect of our training-even the language was tested, as we were not allowed to communicate in Galactic Basic for the whole period among ourselves. The fact that within a day or so we would be killing each other was not lost on any of us, however…

The night of the exercise, I sensed the voice of the Emperor in my head.

 _"_ _I am approaching the Academy, my Servant…"_

I had not forgotten this. He always made a point to watch the final fights personally, to meet the men and women who would be guarding him…and to secretly vet them so that he would get who he wanted to guard him. This would be quite the ordeal-the idea that I had to kill another student, and there were a couple that I truly respected. This would not be easy, but as I was learning, my personal feelings were becoming rapidly irrelevant.

 _"_ _Have no fear…you will survive these fights. You shall take your place at my side, having proven your superiority over all of your rivals. You have done better than I thought possible, I must say…"_

The worst of it was that I knew he was right. The sense that I was drowning in all of the Emperor's layers of control and propaganda was inexorable.

The next day, I wasn't surprised to run into my rivals in the Mess Hall. They were all looking dead at each other, and yet they were interacting perfectly normally.

The clone wars veteran walked up to me, with a small smile.

"Well…we've made it to the end. I had little doubt even back in that first fight that you would make it this far. You've come so far since then…for my money, the Emperor will be fortunate to end up with a servant as powerful and dedicated as you."

Fortune was most definitely not on my side at this moment in time. Still, he wasn't to know about my particular circumstances, so I could mentally forgive him, even if I couldn't say it physically.

"Thank you…" I said simply, my conditioning forbidding anything more substantial.

"As for what happens now…I simply leave it to fate and my own abilities to decide what happens next. It is no dishonour to lose to any of you…so may the best of us win. For the Emperor…" he finished, which received a selection of grateful nods from the other contenders.

The redhead looked over at me.

"The deal with the mask is still a mystery, and the fact that you've killed fellow candidates in cold blood to protect your identity still does not sit right with me, but I can see that, whoever you are-or whoever you were-the Emperor chose you for a reason. You have rewarded his faith in you by arguably surpassing all of us, and your killer instinct-which I admittedly have held against you-will probably be the decisive factor in your victory over us. I have little doubt that you will be the top student here, and take your rightful place at the Emperor's side. You've worked damn hard for it…"

Next, the Carida student stepped forward.

"There's no debating it-you are the best of us. You have not only survived here, you've thrived. You're the sort of candidate that will be such an asset to the glory of the Empire that I feel that if I must die to ensure that you take your place, it's a sacrifice that I happily make. I will have played my part in the future of the Imperial Military, and I knew the risks going in so I hold no fear of death. I only hope that my final fight-if it is my final fight-I make it a good one. Make everyone proud…" he commented wistfully, seemingly already aware of what his final fate would be.

Finally, the ice queen stepped forward, her blue eyes piercing through me.

"Let me get one thing clear…I do not give respect easily, but you have earned mine. You've simply done what I set out to do at the Academy, and be the best version of yourself that you can be-the best asset to the Empire. You have proven yourself the best shot, the best fighter and seem to have become one with the shadows. I don't know how long it was before you were noticed, or even where you came from. But it is clear that you were chosen for a reason, like I was. I had to work hard to get here, but you have immersed yourself in the training to a level that I can only respect, so best of luck when we all fight it out for the Emperor's honour." She then took a seat.

I sensed that the others expected me to say something, and I would greatly have loved to have had a choice in what I was going to say to them. However, my conditioning-and the Emperor's will-took over and poisoned my words-just as I had expected, to my everlasting despair.

"The reason that I wear this mask is to signify my current status. I am faceless, because at the moment, I am devoid of identity-I am nobody. My time in the Academy is turning me into what my Emperor wants me to become, but I am not there yet. I am also not the person that I once was, simply because she has been discarded and buried to become what the Emperor desires of me. I am in merely a transitionary state-and I will take my rightful place at his side. Whatever it takes…"

The words tasted like poison in my mouth, but there was nothing that I could do to change them. To make matters even worse, every word was truth-I was being buried and slowly turned into a monster. Three of the people in the room would probably die at my hand, or at the hands of the others in this room. It was an inescapable trap that we were all in…and all for the pride of thinking that they were worthy of defending the Emperor.

No more words were said. We all picked up our food, and retreated into our own contemplations of the days ahead-in my case, I returned to my quarters. In my head, I was at the edge-I simply wanted to die, to be put out of my misery-for this nightmare cage to be broken once and for all. But it was never going to happen…

I would survive the next few days with guaranteed blood on my hands.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**WELL, HERE IT IS...THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THIS STORY. IT'S SUITABLY LONGER, TO WRAP EVERYTHING UP. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER, AS WELL AS WHAT YOU THINK OF THE STORY OVERALL.**

TRAINING THE SHADOW

PART 18

At last, the day I had long dreaded was upon me.

The final assessment fights at the Imperial Royal Guard Training Academy. The day where I would complete my destiny and take my rightful place at the Emperor's side…as he would put it. By this point, I was feeling pretty apathetic. I desperately wanted one of the other candidates to kill me…by Shiraya, I wanted to be free of my endless nightmare. But my chains were too secure, my cage too well locked. My conditioning and the serum ensured that I would be not only a deadly combatant, but also completely obedient. There was no way out of my predicament…and this was the end of the first stage of the journey. My graduation to fully fledged monster.

It started with the other candidates and I meeting the Emperor himself. As per personal request of the Emperor, I was to remain wearing my mask, despite the other candidates being unmasked. The Chief Instructor seemed visibly annoyed at this, but what could he do? He was railroaded and he knew it. This didn't stop him from throwing a few withering glances in my direction. He was on his final chance to be rid of me, and he knew it. On the other hand, he was about to be rid of me anyway-he just hated the fact that the Emperor had hand-chosen me himself.

The Emperor arrived, accompanied by four Royal Guards-the representation of what we could become, a deliberate move on his part. He was not accompanied by Darth Vader, but the Doctrine of Fear was not the message he wanted to convey. This was about appealing to the men and women who would be guarding him-who would be confidantes to his secret of being the Dark Lord of the Sith known as Darth Sidious. We all saluted (forcibly in my case), and he greeted everybody as he passed, exchanging words with them. The other candidates considered it the highest honour to meet the Emperor, but my feelings were far darker on the issue for fairly obvious reasons (in my mind anyway). When he came up to me, he simply looked at me and said to me

"You've done well, my servant…" then moved on. He did pass on a mental statement through the Force, however, as he began walking away.

 _"_ _Focus your anger, your aggression…you will get an outlet for it soon enough."_

We then went to the arena to prepare, while the Emperor took his seat in the Arena. He had his own private seat, right at the top, with a microphone that would send his voice all over. Every instructor was watching-keen to see their hard work pay off. The Chief Instructor went to the Emperor to request the fight brackets, and find out who would fight who, and walked away confused and quietly seething-I guessed that he had not found out what would happen to me-and the fact that two fights would not reduce five down to two.

The fights began.

The first fight was announced as the Carida graduate against the Clone Wars veteran-a much anticipated clash of old and new. Both men put up a fantastic fight, clearly giving it all for the Emperor. They went on for a fair while, displaying both tenacity and resilience. But finally the Clone Wars veteran fell, utterly exhausted in the face of his younger counterpart's offence. He looked sorrowful for a moment, before nodding at his opponent who was standing over him. The Emperor declared simply "Finish him…" and the young man delivered the killing blow to the veteran. I was truly saddened to see him die-he had been an Imperial, but he had fought valiantly for the Republic before the rise of the Empire and had only became an Imperial due to the conditioning implanted to the Clone Army by the Kaminoans that led to Order 66. He was a man of honour, replaced by a man brainwashed by propaganda and just as trapped by his orders as his veteran counterpart had been. The young man stood up after his fight, and bowed to the Emperor before walking off.

The second fight was between the other two women. The ice queen versus the fiery redhead. The redhead was the loser in this instance, her moral scruples clearly not on par with the lack of morals displayed by the ice queen. She mercilessly killed her opponent, believing her win to be a moment of destiny. Her demeanour was cold and emotionless. She did not question orders and believed fanatically in the Imperial machine. She would make a fine Imperial Royal Guard, no question. I was just bitter about the two candidates being the ones that I respected being the ones to fall.

Finally, the Chief Instructor stood up. He was looking at me, and I stood in accordance.

"What of this one with the mask? She is still without an opponent…" he pointed out to the Emperor.

I was fully expecting a two on one fight, with the two left standing being the ones who won.

What I was not expecting was the Emperor's next statement.

"She shall fight you…"

The atmosphere in the arena suddenly changed as everybody reacted with shock. I could not believe it…I was being offered a shot at the man who had been making my life a living hell for a year! I wanted to take him apart so badly I could taste it…and now I had the chance! I was keen to fight this man, and he knew it…

"Me…your highness?" he asked, shaking slightly.

"Yes…the two candidates that survived their fights shall become the two new Royal Guards. The other candidate has proven herself to be the best of the group by far, however, and I have other plans in mind for her. She needs a fight to graduate from the Academy, however, and you are perfect for the role. You will fight her…and she will likely kill you. You have a reported disdain for her, so think of this as a chance to finally get rid of her. You may begin…" he told the Instructor.

"As you wish" he bowed, and strode over to me, where I stood waiting, anticipating the serum rush.

It came…and I screamed my lungs out as I tasted its raw power. The Chief Instructor gulped, before charging in. The fight was brutal-I was being encouraged by the Emperor through the Force…

 _"_ _Use your anger, focus your aggression…make him suffer!"_

The ecstasy of power was rendering me drunk, and I was loving being able to take this man apart. He was dishing out some worthwhile offence,-he clearly knew his stuff as the Chief Instructor, but it was becoming increasingly clear that I outclassed him. Finally, he dropped to his knees. I could feel the serum's rush beginning to wear off, as we had been fighting for an extraordinary length of time, but my anger still burned. I was shaking and feeling nauseous, but I didn't care. He was ready to be finished off…

"Kill him. Kill him now…" the Emperor audibly commanded.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and with one twist, snapped his neck.

His body crumpled to the ground, dead before he hit the floor.

At this point, I felt a new sensation. The nausea and shakes vanished, and I felt calmer. I looked at the Emperor, who was smiling.

"Good, good…well done, my Servant." He announced, before cackling.

"There is one more fight ahead of you…your instructor, Ravenna. The student must surpass the Master, after all, before he can become the master himself…"

At this, Ravenna had a look of comprehension as she realised the trap that she was in. By asking about the serum, even if it was for training purposes, she had delved too deeply into my origins. The Emperor could not allow her to live with that information in her mind. If she refused the fight, she would be executed on the spot for treason. The fact that I would be her executioner was just irony for the Emperor, the sort of thing that he gained a delicious joy from.

She strode into the Arena, knowing full well the consequences.

I stepped in to meet her, knowing that this was where my obedience was tested.

The serum rush entered my body, I screamed again and took on my mentor.

Over the year, Ravenna had become a respected figure in my mind. She was turning me into a monster, for certain, but in her mind it was to mold me into a lethal operative, rather than as a pawn in the Emperor's game. She clearly relished training me, and I was emotionally distraught at the idea of having to fight her…to kill her.

She used every Ashani trick that she could think of, anything that could halt my relentless assault. Nothing worked, and she was starting to realise that she had been well and truly outclassed. The student had finally surpassed the Master…

Finally, she fell to her knees, expecting the killing blow.

"Do it…" came the Emperor's voice. "Kill your Instructor and prove your loyalty to me!"

Helpless to prevent the conditioning from fulfilling my orders, I killed her.

Utterly destroyed mentally, I stood before the Emperor.

"Good…you will make a fine servant. I will see you all at the Graduation Ceremony…"

For the Graduation Ceremony, I was finally permitted to show my face…sort of.

The Emperor wanted me to show my face officially, to signify the fact that I had finally become what I was in a transition stage to becoming-a dedicated servant to the Emperor. I was to conceal my normal appearance by donning a raven haired wig and several layers of make-up (supplied by an agent of the Emperor to my room) that would make my complexion look far paler than normal, and there would be other touches to the make-up that would alter my facial appearance. The Emperor would also be using the Dark Side of the Force to alter people's perceptions of me, so nobody would ever be able to identify me through a visual assessment. I was now just another Imperial female…

I wore a black Imperial Officer's uniform, with a cap on top of my tied back hair. The uniform also had black leather gloves and boots, just to add to the official dark and sinister look. The ensemble disgusted me, as it was so against what I was so used to as a senator and as Queen, but I had long ago lost the right to have anything remotely resembling free will.

As I entered the courtyard for the Graduation Ceremony, the other two candidates reacted in shock at finally seeing what I looked like for real, without the mask. They recovered quickly, before anybody could notice-not that they were seeing anything remotely resembling the truth.

The Emperor gave a long and elaborate speech at what we would be doing as Imperial Royal Guards, and invited each candidate up to be addressed personally-using names, for the first time in a year.

Finally, he commented on me. I strode over, helpless to resist.

"Your Highness…" I said, a slave to my instructions.

He looked over at me approvingly.

"Corde' Sabe' Naberrie'…a codename derived from a combination of past names. The truth is that you were an experiment, adding a personally chosen candidate with no past and no identity into the mix to see if my judgement is truly superior. You have proven me completely right to put my faith into you, and you have become the top candidate here. Your two other candidates will become Imperial Royal Guards, after a small period of acclimatization during which they will receive the much-sought after red armour. You, on the other hand, have proven yourself as an even more valuable asset, so you will accompany me to Coruscant where I will personally assign you to your next position. My most hearty congratulations, my servant…"

My reply was implanted into my head by the Emperor…and spoke a lot of his narcissism.

"I live to serve you, Your Highness…" I spoke. My voice had also been altered by a small device attached to my neck, below the line of the collar, so that my voice would not give me away.

"You will make me proud…and serve the Empire well. Gather your belongings, and we will make an immediate departure. Congratulations to you both on the Imperial Royal Guard positions, and I will see you both in Coruscant after your acclimatization has been completed. All three of you have graduated, as opposed to the normal two. Consider that an indicator of your abilities. Combat ability and unflinching loyalty…the ingredients of an ideal Imperial Royal Guard!" The Emperor concluded.

They both bowed before him. I simply stood standing, as ordered my him mentally. However, I was utterly humiliated. I was still alive, and I had spent a year being turned into a true killer. This was it, the indicator that the entire ordeal was over…and that a new one was about to begin.

A short while later, I was aboard his shuttle. He had dismissed his guards, and was speaking to me alone. I would remain in my uniform for the arrival on Coruscant and would change back as soon as were back in the Imperial Palace.

He sensed that I had something on my mind. Indeed, there were two matters that troubled me. Both of them were the kills that I had committed today…both had felt wrong in their own way.

"Something is on your mind…speak freely, my servant."

I took a deep breath, able to speak my mind. I decided to use the time well and get to the point.

"Why did you make me kill Ravenna? She was an asset to the Empire…or would have been if you had not made me kill her. And the Chief Instructor…that fight-I was so happy to be taking that piece of work apart. Why did that feel so good? I was enraged and ecstatic at the same time!"

The Emperor looked dead at me.

"Ravenna has no place in the Empire. She had skills, but there will always be others who share those skills. I also noted that you grew to respect her, and I could not have any ally of you surviving, especially since she knew more than she should have done about you. Her knowing as much as she did was a means to an end, as it trained you in how to use the serum to maximum efficiency, but she needed to be dealt with-and it provided a worthy final test in assessing your obedience."

He took a breath, then carried on.

"You enjoyed killing the Chief Instructor, didn't you? You grew to hate him over the year. He organised your imprisonment and torture, set up several challenges intended to destroy you and may have even had a hand in several assassination attempts. You despised him, and loved being able to get rid of him, giving vent to your anger…admit it. You did, didn't you, my servant? Speak freely…"

I didn't speak, I simply reluctantly nodded. The Emperor simply cackled.

"He was under my orders the whole time. I had to make your time at the Academy a difficult one, so that you would become the sort of operative that I wanted you to become. He was a loyal servant of the Empire, playing his part to perfection. For the record, I believe he really did hate you…but he was committing all of those actions on my behalf. How do you feel about that, my plaything?"

My head spun. He had been behind the entire thing!? It was obscene…and yet made perfect sense. Why else did the Chief Instructor have the confidence to defy the Emperor and physically, mentally and emotionally dissect the Emperor's chosen champion? It all made sense now!

I stayed silent, out of choice, completely disgusted.

The Emperor was not fully done, however.

"There is one further matter. That moment before you killed the Chief Instructor…did you feel strange at all? Any unusual sensations physically or mentally?" he pressed. Now that I thought about it, there had been the shakes and the nausea…I simply nodded.

The Emperor laughed, a demonic cackle that echoed round the ship.

"I switched off the serum injector for a moment. You were a free woman for that last moment of the fight. When you were ordered to kill him, you were perfectly able to refuse because you weren't under the influence of the serum. But your anger blinded you, and you killed him anyway. Completely out of your own free will…"

His laughter rang through my head as I collapsed in a heap of despair. What sick game had he played!? He had set me free deliberately for a brief moment…and I had followed his orders anyway! It was at that moment that I realised that I was truly lost…

Padme' Amidala no longer existed. What did exist in her place was an Imperial servant…a monster.

I had undergone an entire year of physical, mental and emotional torture. I had become a deadly shot with all manner of hideously dangerous weapons, including mastering the deadly Force Pike. I had learned unarmed combat, especially the martial art Ashani. I now spoke a secret language exclusive to the Imperial Royal Guard, and was well drilled in team tactics should I ever be placed in that sort of assignment. I was even an Imperial grade pilot from my education! But above all, I was a killer. A Black-hearted, remorseless (on the outside) nightmare under the Emperor's control.

I had survived…but what role would the Emperor have for me from now on?

As the shuttle proceeded to Coruscant, I knew that I would not be waiting long to learn my fate…

 **WELL, THAT'S THIS STORY FINALLY COMPLETED. THANK YOU FOR READING IT, AND IF YOU REVIEWED ALONG THE WAY, THEY ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. AS FOR WHAT IS NEXT...I HAVE AN IDEA FOR SOMETHING THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO DO TO PADME'...THOUGH I AM UNSURE ABOUT WHETHER TO DO IT AS A STANDALONE STORY (ONE-PART) OR ADD IT AS A CHAPTER TO 'THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW', TO BRING IT UP TO AN EVEN TEN. IT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE MORE SENSE THAT WAY, I'D IMAGINE...PLUS MORE NEWBIE FRIENDLY.**

 **APART FROM THAT CHAPTER, I'LL PROBABLY PUT THIS ON THE BACKBURNER AND TAKE A BIT OF A BREAK. THIS ONE HAS HAD QUITE THE ONSLAUGHT OF CHAPTERS OVER THE LAST FORTNIGHT, AND I'M A LITTLE FATIGUED BY IT ALL. BUT HAVE NO FEAR, I HAVE OTHER IDEAS TO PLAY WITH...HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE TOO LONG BEFORE I CAN SHARE THEM WITH YOU.**

 **UNTIL THEN, HASTA LA VISTA...**


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